Transcending the Stars
by Sunakuyagirl
Summary: A young, stalwart, warrior princess named Harata is in the midst of battle along with her allies, when an ambush by a Sorceress unit ends up teleporting her to the ninja world of Naruto. Along her journey to find a way back home, she meets and befriends team 7, but finds herself becoming slightly distracted by squad 7's enigmatic sensei. (OC's in this story) (Light hearted satire)
1. The Battlefield

**Far away on a distant planet called Celeste, a great battle ensues. Four young female warriors head the attack in the defense of the empire in which** **they serve.**

The cries of battle echoed across the barren plains, as the spirited young woman struck down an enemy general. The fierce warrior steeled herself for the next onslaught of attacks from a group of enemy soldiers, which she countered effortlessly.

She then turned around with a vicious smile curled upon her lips, and dispatched them all with a flurry of quick lethal blows from her dual sabers.

She paused momentarily to admire her work, and was about to continue pressing the attack, when another young woman caught up with her.

The well endowed, strawberry blonde woman wore a white spaghetti strap halter with noticeable cleavage, a red and light blue sarong wrapped skirt, adorned with precious jewels of topaz, and magically imbued gems fashioned around her forearms.

She had maroon colored eyes, and wore a golden, metal choker with a ruby red locket; crafted into a broken heart around her neck.

"This is going to take forever. They just keep coming." she complained, as the burgundy haired female turned to face her comrade.

"No, they'll let up soon. Skarlit won't keep this game up for long. Even someone like her will tire of losing men unnecessarily." the shorter of the two replied, flicking her blades clean of the crimson stream that had gathered upon them.

The wild eyed young woman then surveyed the immediate area, a look of confusion evident on her face.

"Soohyeung, where's Miyake and Setsuna?" she finally asked.

The woman addressed as _Soohyeung_ shifted her gaze to the direction she had just come from.

"They're clearing out the South Gates still. You want me to go help them?" she offered.

"That's okay, they'll be fine." the burgundy haired young warrior answered, seeing their missing comrades charging through the horizon.

"Here they come now." was all she said, as two young women of varying heights, soon joined them.

"The South is all clear Harata. Master Junkai and Master Toshi's units are advancing from the East and West. Emiko and Shintai are-- well, being Emiko and Shintai..." the taller of the duo reported, sounding rather downtrodden upon mention of her eccentric older sibling.

 _Harata_ bore a hesitant and unsure expression, quite reflective of her thoughts on her friend's last statement.

"Thanks Miyake..." Harata trailed off at a loss for words momentarily; thinking about what her and Miyake's psychotic older sisters could possibly be doing to illicit a response like that from the ever calm young woman.

"We'll continue advancing for now. Everyone else is going to charge the enemy main camp anyway." Harata said, as the four young women prepared to storm the battlefield once more.

Their swift momentum eventually carried them toward an entourage of enemy soldiers and five generals.

At the very back, stood an older woman dressed in exotic garb reminiscent of a priestess.

She didn't look too pleased to see them, and raised her hand up to her head slightly, then quickly back down and outward; giving the 'go ahead' to her men to attack.

As the enemy launched into their assault, the four young women took a firm stance, and charged forward to engage the enemy. On one of the enemy general's cue, his men moved to surround the girls.

All at once, the soldiers attempted to strike out at the coordinated swordswomen, but were suddenly hit by a blinding red-orange light.

Harata had ignited her body into a fiery mass of flames, which both blinded and forced the enemy forces back; allowing her time for a counterattack.

Mildly annoyed by the enemy general's cheap tactic, she charged directly toward him, and beheaded him with one swift lunge; his body falling limp to the ground.

"Well that was an idiotic move." she muttered to herself; the slain general's men retreating back to the older woman's side, as she stared the young swordswomen down maliciously.

"Hara, look out!" Soohyeung shouted from in back of her.

Harata turned around in time to see Setsuna, the youngest and smallest of the group disemboweling two other enemy generals who tried to sneak attack her.

All the while, the small girl bore a gleeful, oblivious smile on her little face, as she twisted her blades deeper into the abdomens of her targets, removing them only after her older cousin Miyake lopped off their heads.

"Thanks Setsuna." Harata said playfully, giving the petite swordswoman a gentle pat on the head, then returning her attention back to the task at hand.

The older woman frowned up with disgust; displeased with the failures of her slain allies

"Can't you do better than that? You worthless imbeciles are so incompetent. Why must I always clean up after you?" she barked in an outrage.

The older general simply remain unfazed, seemingly quite use to the old woman's verbal abuse.

The other general however, appeared to have lost the nerve to fight upon seeing over half of his comrades eliminated in seconds.

"Very well, it seems I alone must discipline these impudent brats." she hissed; a crude, evil smirk slowly forming on her callous face as the remaining two generals looked to her for further orders.

She then whispered something to both of the generals, fairly satisfied with whatever plan she had conceived. The men both nodded in agreement, eager to secure a victory. They all seemed very confident that their next move would seal the fate of the four young women.

Suddenly, one of the two generals began charging in a full on assault, while the other ordered his men to join the assault. The enemy appeared to be attempting to isolate them by launching a Pincer attack.

"I sincerely hope they don't think we'll fall for such an obvious ploy. It didn't go too well for them last time." Miyake thought aloud, readying herself for a fight.

"Okay, I guess we're playing this game again." Harata said as she raised her blades in defense and once again engaged in battle.

Only this time, it was more coordinated, with the old enemy general finally joining in the attack seconds later. He appeared to be more level headed than the others, as he lunged directly toward Harata.

Having only a split second to react, Harata focused her attention on the veteran general she was now locked in a duel with.

 ** _"_** ** _He has to be the commanding officer, he's more skilled than the rest_ _of them_** ** _."_** Harata thought to herself, as the two traded blows.

Dispatching the fourth general, Miyake, Soohyeung, and Setsuna turned their attention toward the remaining horde of soldiers who were trying to attack Harata.

Though the way the enemy was attacking seemed strange to Miyake, she continued to fight. But something was bothering her.

 ** _"_** ** _Why had they tried another ambush oriented attack like that if it didn't work the first time?_ _"_** Miyake wondered, as she too re-engaged the enemy.

Something was off, but the young swordswoman just couldn't place what it was.

 **...Then it happened...**

All at once, the very ground beneath them began to shake, like the planet itself was crumbling on its very foundation.

A brilliant light emanated from all around them, but something was strange about it, it almost appeared to be; following some sort of pattern.

Noticing the strange way the light snaked around them, Soohyeung became weary and looked down to see where it was going, only to realize too late that it was a pentagram associated with black magic.

At this revelation, she felt her heart sink, finally figuring out what was going on. But before she could warn the others, all four of them vanished into thin air.

As the swordswomen disappeared, the hardened general lowered his blade, and stared at the spot where his opponent had stood only seconds ago.

"That's what happens when you're too reckless. You fought well young ones, but you were overconfident." he said to himself as he retreated back to the older woman's side with the few remaining troops he had left.

Seemingly satisfied with her scheme, the older woman ordered her men to withdraw from the battlefield, and scurried back to the enemy main camp.

The last thing Soohyeung could make out, was the self accomplished look on the face of the woman she now recognized as another sorceress.

Feeling at fault for not realizing the trap they walked into earlier, she closed her eyes, and let the light envelope and caress her skin. It was warm, and painless.

 _Is this what death felt like?_ Soohyeung mulled over in her head, until she lost consciousness.

In the brief time Harata had to notice something was wrong, she could only portray a look of disbelief and bewilderment; watching her allies fade away.

The young commander looked toward her opponent one last time as the oddly calming aura encompassed the four of them, beginning to interfere with her vision.

 _What was happening?_ she thought in a panic, unable to see anything anymore. All she could feel now was the peaceful sensation of becoming weightless and strangely fatigued.

At that moment…Harata realized that she had made a grave mistake.


	2. Fateful Encounter

**Close to a nearby village, within the solitude of a lush green forest, the distant sounds of birds chirping and a river flowing resounds throughout the area.**

 **On a lone path, travelling together are three preteen aged kids; two boys, and one girl, accompanied by an adult. They appeared to be passing by at a leisurely pace.**

"I just don't see why we have to do such a lame mission!! Why can't it be something cool like fighting off a couple of rogue shinobi or something?!" one of the boys complained as they walked along.

Feeling her anger building up at the boy's outburst, the girl took a deep breath, and attempted to respond calmly.

"Naruto, I already explained it to you. Minor missions like helping the villagers is essential to us learning to cooperate properly with each other, but I can see it went in one ear, and out the other as usual. You never listen!" the girl retorted pointedly.

Naruto's face soured with disappointment, upon hearing his teammate's response.

He knew she was right, but it didn't change the fact that helping some old lady find her cat was extremely boring to him.

"yeah, I know, I know. But at least something a little more interesting than this." he responded, squinting his eyes at the bright, golden sun shining down through the vast canopy.

"Oooo! I know a way to make this fun! Hey Sakura!" Naruto called out eagerly.

Visibly annoyed, the pink haired girl half heartedly turned her attention to Naruto.

"What now?" she asked, clearly uninterested in anything he had to say, yet suspicious of his sudden enthusiasm.

"If I find that old lady's pet fast enough, wanna eat lunch with me after?" he giddily asked, somewhat proud of his plan to get the girl he had a crush on to spend time with him.

"What?! Why would I agree to that? I planned on eating lunch with Sasuke!" she shot back without thinking, then suddenly realized how brash she had been, blushed and gave a shy smile.

"I mean, if he doesn't mind that is..." she trailed off, as she stole a glance at the stoic, silent boy walking beside Naruto.

However, he seemed too focused on another predicament to even notice the exchange between the two.

"huh? Sasuke? What's so good about him? He probably doesn't wanna be here either! So much for that cool attitude of his!" he jeered as he stared Sasuke down, but to no avail.

"NARUTO!!!! Sasuke isn't a lazy goof like you!! He takes our missions seriously!" she snapped, her butch, inner fangirl beginning to flare up.

She absolutely couldn't stand when Naruto compared himself to Sasuke, because they were nothing alike in her deluded mind.

"Sensei Kakashi, can you please tell Naruto to stop acting like such a little kid? Just because he doesn't care, doesn't mean Sasuke and I don't!!" she pleaded with the man walking just a little further in front of her.

However her pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, as he too seemed preoccupied by something else.

"Sensei--" Sakura started again, but was interrupted by her instructor finally acknowledging that someone was talking to him.

"Sorry, what'd you say?"he finally answered in a calm tone, turning his head to his right slightly behind him to hear her.

Upon realizing he hadn't caught what she said, she started to repeat her request again, but was halted by their teacher holding up his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

She stopped and looked at her carefree teacher in confusion, as he seemed very alert now, and looked off to his left into the distance.

The silent, dark haired boy sensing the same disturbance, too looked in the same direction.

A very large, bright, bluish-white light could be seen beaming down from the sky.

It was quite unsettling, because there was no noise coming from it, yet it clearly riled up all the wildlife, as birds could be seen frantically trying to escape the odd occurrence.

Whatever it was, it's overwhelming presence seemed to drown out all sound from their surroundings.

They all stared in awe at the sight, knowing that they would eventually be tasked with going to check it out.

Unable to comprehend what they were bearing witness to, Naruto became somewhat mesmorized.

"What is that?" he wondered, entranced by the odd phenomenon.

He had no idea what was happening, but it definitely added that extra element of danger he so desperately wished for.

But for Sakura, this wasn't anything she wanted a part of. Though as much as she wanted to leave, she had a mission to complete.

She was extremely hesitant, but her teammates and teacher had already started moving toward the strange light.

Seeing as the guys weren't backing down, she reluctantly followed after them.

* * *

Across the horizon, the brilliant light that had once filled the sky, finally started to dissipate. Not knowing exactly how far they should go, they continued on an estimated guess until they saw a parting in the trees open into a small riverside embankment.

Upon first glance, nothing seemed out of place, until Naruto tripped over something in his path.

"Aaah, what the--" he broke off as he looked down to see what made him fall.

There, sticking out of some brush to his left, he saw what looked like a leg lying on the ground, quickly catching his attention.

"Aw hell, did someone die out here?!" he shouted, visibly shaken; causing his companions to focus on him.

"What are you screaming about now?" Sakura demanded, as their teacher came to see what was going on.

"Guys, there's a leg stickin outta that bush. I think it's a dead body!!" Naruto muttered.

Kakashi, eerily unphased by the whole situation trodded over to the brush to inspect the mysterious limb.

Kneeling down on one knee, he carefully parted the shrubbery with his hands, only to reveal a body. To his surprise though, it was the body of a young woman slumped against the base of a tree.

He immediately took to looking her body over for any sign of trauma. Finding no visible injuries, he remained silent for a minute, while checking for a pulse.

"Well...she's not dead." he assured his bewildered students, who were understandably relieved.

Growing curious, Naruto walked back over to the brush which once housed the menacing leg that startled him so much. Sasuke and Sakura following Naruto's lead.

"What?" Sakura blurted out, shocked at what she was seeing.

"A woman? Who is she?" Sasuke thought to himself.

"Who's the chick? And why the heck is she having nap time out here?" he demanded, though nobody responded.

The young woman had long burgundy locks, pale skin, a white, elaborately decorated kimono top lined in soft pink, with a red nagajubon underneath which cut off just below her chest and framed her porcelain shoulders.

Around her neck; a gold-chained heart necklace, crimson red shorts lined with gold, and a high slit on the right side, revealing a generous amount of skin on either side.

Feeling a bit foolish still, Naruto realized that the white leg he had seen, was merely her stockings, which came up to just above the knee, with long, leaf shaped designs at the top; lined with gold.

On her feet she wore elegantly designed okobo. Lacquered in black, lined with gold at the tops and bottoms of the soles, and rose colored straps.

Her pale, soft complexion grazed with blood red eyeshadow, and rosy pink blush under her eyes, reaching down to just below her cheekbones.

Her attire closely resembled that of a maiko, but with stark differences.

Taking in all of these details, Sakura looked her over for any injuries herself, rather concerned as to why she was in the middle of the woods alone.

"Maybe we should wake her up just in case." Sakura thought to herself as she reached out to gently shake the strange young female's shoulder. Getting no response, she tried again, but still nothing.

"I...don't think she's conscious. She didn't even stir when I touched her. I think she needs help, we should take her with us." Sakura replied confidently.

"But how are we gonna take her anywhere? She obviously can't walk on her own. And I ain't carrying her!!" Naruto interrupted, disheartened that something else was being tacked onto a boring mission he already didn't feel like doing.

"Sensei Kakashi, what should we do?" Sakura asked, glaring at Naruto for cutting her off. He remained silent as he studied the unconscious young woman.

"Well, I suppose we could bring her along. We can always get her medical assistance once we get back to the village." he said matter-of-factly.

"Thank you." Sakura said sternly, as Kakashi proceeded to pick the young woman up, and put her over his right shoulder.

"This should do." he said, with an accomplished look on the only part of his face not covered by his mask.

He was about to start walking again, when he noticed all three of his students suddenly grow quiet, and stare at him with an awkward expression.

"Something wrong?" Kakashi prodded, as Naruto began snickering sheepishly.

"Um...sensei Kakashi." Sakura eventually spoke up, clearly embarrassed.

Kakashi cocked his head slightly in acknowledgement, waiting for her to continue.

"You-you're hand...it's on her..." she stuttered, getting more flustered by the second.

"My hand? What's wrong with it?" he answered, in a confused manner.

"It's on her, um...ahem...her backside..." she muttered, trying not to make a big deal out of it.

"hehe, Kakashi sensei, you perv!!" Naruto said sarcastically, in a teasing manner as he laughed.

Sasuke, looking indifferent as usual, turned his back with his hands in his pocket, and sighed.

"You're such an idiot." he grumbled in annoyance at Naruto's teasing.

Unsure if he was being pranked, Kakashi flexed his hand that was holding the young woman on his shoulder, and felt the firm softness, confirming Sakura's statement.

"Ahaha...my bad..." he said as Sakura looked back up at him in shock, a little convinced he copped a feel on purpose.

She folded her arms in disappointment, and yelled at Naruto to be quiet, as he laughed jokingly.

"Well hopefully she doesn't hold it against me." he said, turning red ever so slightly, as he scratched his head nervously with his other hand.

"So, how'd it feel?" Naruto joked, grinning mischievously.

"Shut up Naruto!!!" Sakura snapped again, this time hitting him in the head.

"Heh heh-- ouch!!! What'd ya do that for?! Geez! I was just joking!!" he screamed in pain, rubbing his sore head.

"Can we go already?" Sasuke chimed in, becoming increasingly impatient, and fed up with Naruto's antics.

"Right, you all need to stay focused. Don't forget you're being graded on this too." Kakashi warned in a sweet, but intimidating tone, making all three of them cringe in fear.

"Scary..." they all thought in unison, while backing away from their teacher as if he had a bomb strapped to him.

"Glad we understand each other. Shall we go then?" Kakashi said cheerfully as he turned and headed back towards the path. Snapping out of their trance like state, they followed quickly after him.

After team 7 finished with their mission, which ended with there never actually even being a missing pet. They all returned to the village.

Kakashi made sure to report their strange encounter to the 4th Hokage before he and his students brought the young woman to the local medical facility. Once their new acquaintance had been admitted as a patient, Kakashi dismissed them for the day.

* * *

As morning arrived in Konoha village, the local clinic came to life with doctors and nurses making their daily rounds, and tending to patients.

Given charge of a mysterious patient, one nurse found herself at the door of the room occupied by the newest addition to the hospital.

She knocked three times before announcing her intent to come inside. But upon hearing no response, she grew concerned and entered anyway.

Immediately after opening the door, she jumped back slightly in surprise upon seeing the patient sitting up in bed.

"Oh my goodness! You scared me!" she squealed, nearly dropping the clipboard she was carrying. The patient she spoke to slowly turned her head towards the nurse to meet her gaze, and stared at her as if lost in thought.

"The doctor said you were comatose. Well, I guess he was wrong. No surprise there. Ah, but how are you feeling? You look like you're doing much better than yesterday. Well, you weren't able to move yesterday so-- oh gosh, I'm sorry, look at me rambling on. Why don't we start over?"

"Good morning, I'll be assisting you today. What's your name?" the nurse finished, finally giving her patient a chance to answer.

The patient, the young woman from the previous day, merely looked at her in confusion.

"Oh, are you not able to speak? My apologies, I'll get you something to write with instead." the nurse continued, pausing only once she heard her patient reply.

"Where...am I?..." the baffled young woman questioned, looking all around the hospital room.

"Ahh, so you can talk. Well, that's good." the nurse replied with a gentle smile.

"But, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name? I was told you were unconscious when squad seven and their sensei brought you in, so no one was able to get any information from you." she pressed, seeing the confusion return to her patient's face.

"Squad seven? What's that?" the young woman questioned, even more confused than before.

"They're the ones that brought you in. Kakashi Hatake and his students. He carried you here because you were unconscious. But I guess you wouldn't remember that." the nurse replied.

"Who?" the young woman questioned again, starting to grow mildly annoyed.

"Kakashi Hatake, squad seven's teacher." the nurse answered, as she walked over to the young woman's bed and pulled up a chair to sit down.

"I don't know who that is...or where I am for that matter..." she trailed off, inspecting her surroundings once more.

"Oh, sorry about that. I guess I should've explained that vital part to you. This is a hospital in Konoha village. But I suppose you're not from around here, so I can understand your angst." the nurse said, starting to get a better idea of the young woman's situation.

"No, I'm not. Where is Ko-no-ha?" the patient replied beginning to feel anxious now as well.

"It's a village hidden away in secrecy, and home to the bravest shinobi you'll ever meet." she answered without hesitation.

"Shinobi? Wait, what do you mean by shinobi?" the exasperated young woman interrogated.

"Exactly what I said. In other words, it's a ninja village. Does that make more sense?" the nurse asked, trying to explain to the best of her ability.

"Not really, but it's fine. How did I end up here?" the young woman inquired, unsure of how to react to what she just heard.

"I told you already, Squad seven and their teacher brought you in. You were--" the nurse started, but was interrupted by her patient.

"No, that's not what I meant. I mean...ah, nevermind." the young woman replied, a hint of defeat in her voice.

"So, about that name of yours--" she was cut off once again; this time by the sound of a knock on the door.

"Goodness, I wonder if that's the doctor. Hold on, I'll be right back." she said, getting up from the chair and opening the door just enough for herself to slip out, then closed it behind her quietly.

After a short while, the nurse popped her head back into the room. "Well well, aren't you a lucky girl? Somebody's here to visit you." the nurse said with a suggestive smile.

Confused, she sat up a little more in her bed, curious to see who it was. Though she was certain it was nobody she knew, she agreed anyway.

"Oh, okay." she replied as the nurse closed the door.

She could hear muffled talking just outside of her room, but she paid it no mind and just went back to inspecting her surroundings.

She was about to swing her legs over the side of the bed, when she realized that her okobo were sitting neatly by the bed, so she slipped them on, and got up.

The room was fairly standard, nothing fancy. Big enough for two, even though she was the only occupant. She walked over to one of the windows that faced toward the village, opened it, and stuck her head out.

The air was warm, and fresh, and the sun danced on the windowsill. Still feeling apprehensive about what was going on, she pulled her head back inside and thought about what she should do next.

Should she leave, or stay? Maybe she would at least stay long enough to thank those who aided her. But her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by another knock on the door.

"Yes, it's this room right here." came the nurse's voice from outside as the door opened all the way, revealing a tall man with spiky silver hair, and a mask covering a fourth of his face, and a metal plated headband.

He wore a dull green vest with black pants tucked into white leg wraps, and a long sleeved shirt with the cuffs rolled up, revealing some skin.

On his hands; fingerless gloves with a metal guard fashioned across the top of either hand.

"Hey! You shouldn't be up moving around!" the nurse scolded, just now realizing the young woman was standing up.

"I feel fine." the strange looking girl assured, causing the nurse to sigh heavily.

"Well I suppose it's okay so long as you're feeling up to it. Oh!! I guess I should give you two some privacy then. Oh and Kakashi, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask, okay?" the nurse finished as she closed the door gently, allowing the man she addressed as _Kakashi_ to step inside first.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." he replied, smiling innocently at her as she left.

Realizing she was going to be in a room with a man she didn't know, the young woman grew uncomfortable quickly. She began giving him sideways looks as if sizing up an opponent.

He seemed pretty normal, but after what the nurse told her, she couldn't help but feel on edge. As if sensing her uneasiness, he simply leaned against the wall closest to the door, pulled out a pocket sized book, and began reading it.

 _Huh? What is this guy doing?_ she thought to herself as she studied him carefully. He then suddenly looked up lazily from his book as his eyes met her gaze.

"Hello there." he said with a cheery disposition. Catching her off guard, she quickly averted her eyes. She didn't realize she was staring until he looked up at her.

Unnerved, she turned her attention back to the window, though her hyper vigilant mind wouldn't allow her thoughts to stray from figuring out the purpose of her visitor's presence.

 _Who is this guy?! Why is he even in here?! What does he want?! What the hell is going on?!!_ she screamed in her head, as she contemplated an escape from her hospital room, due to her paranoia growing increasingly stronger.

 _What should I do? Climb out the window? I don't know what floor I'm on though...maybe I could_ \-- her thoughts were extinguished entirely, once she caught sight of movement from the corner of her eye.

"I'm glad you're feeling better." he tried again. She looked over her shoulder to find him now leaning against the wall right beside the window she was at.

Startled by how fast he moved, and with her nerves shot, she jumped away from the window so quick that she lost her balance and fell backward. Seeing her reaction to him, he felt at fault for making her fall.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." he said apologetically as he offered her his hand.

She stared at him, then at his hand for a minute, before accepting his offer to help her to her feet.

"Tha...thanks." she mumbled, hoping he didn't hear her.

"My apologies, I didn't catch that." he said politely.

Feeling a little flustered, she took a deep breath. "I said thanks..." she mumbled a little louder.

Realizing what she said, he smiled gently with the same heavenly expression he'd given the nurse.

"You're welcome. I'm not too good with introductions, but, I'm Kakashi Hatake. What's your name?" he tried as she grew silent once more.

 _He seems alright. But what was with that inhuman speed just now?!_ she argued with herself silently, until she eventually relented.

"Harata..." she said meekly, still hesitant to trust her peculiar visitor.

"I'm afraid I didn't hear that, could you please repeat it?" he asked in a pleasant tone.

She stayed quiet for a moment, but decided to say it again; only louder.

"My name, it's Harata." she replied, still a bit too flustered to hold eye contact.

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you, Harata." he said politely, hoping she wasn't still too nervous to hold a conversation.

"Yeah...same here..."


	3. Welcome to the Hidden Leaf Village

"Yeah, same here..." she replied hesitantly, still feeling a little awkward at the whole situation.

 _How did she end up here? Why couldn't she remember what happened?_

"Um..." she started, but stopped, not sure of how to compose her question.

"Yes?" Kakashi answered, seemingly eager to help her fill in the blanks.

She hesitated for a minute, but finally found the right words.

"The nurse that was in here; told me you found me in the woods? Not sure how I ended up there but...was there anyone else there with me?"

Curious as to how she couldn't remember why she was out there, Kakashi gave her some insight on what happened when he and his team stumbled upon her the day prior.

"You were alone; lying at the base of a tree next to some brush. Then we brought you here. Why, were you not traveling alone?"

"Yeah, I--" she broke off suddenly, thinking about how to explain the situation.

"I was with three others, but I guess we got separated. I don't know where they are, but I'd like to find them, if that's alright. I promise we'll be out of your way quickly." she proposed, feeling a touch of angst encroaching upon her.

 _Hopefully she could reunite with the others, and they would all be on their way_ _..._ she thought to herself as she awaited his response.

"Well, if your companions were with you, they may have already entered the village. I can take you to meet the Hokage when you feel up to it. We keep a vigilant watch over all who live here. But, if they are dressed anything like you, I'm sure they won't be hard to find." he offered in reassurance.

"I'm perfectly fine." she countered hurriedly. Her quick response appeared to intrigue him.

"Well, I suppose I'll be escorting you then." he replied with an intense stare that sent a chill through her body, albeit she was a stranger, it still seemed like he didn't believe what she told him.

She could understand why she wouldn't be trusted to wander around alone though. They didn't know her. All she could do was abide by their laws to gain their trust.

Regardless of how dangerous it might be, she knew she had no other option other than to follow this man.

"Thank you. I am in your debt." she said, trying to sound as confident as possible.

"You're cooperative and respectful, that's good." he muttered to himself as he turned and started heading for the door. Upon reaching it, he stopped and faced Harata again.

"Coming?" he asked, as she hadn't moved from her spot yet.

"Oh, right..." she said as she walked over to the door and waited for him to exit, before doing so herself.

Once they reached the front of the clinic, the woman who was assigned to be Harata's nurse came running over to Kakashi.

"Oh, you done visiting now?" she questioned, but paused once she saw Harata trailing behind him.

"Yes." Kakashi intervened. "Oh and by the way...she'll be coming with me." he finished. The nurse, with a quizzical, yet flustered look on her face merely shook her head and smiled.

"I had a feeling that might be the case. Well then, it was nice meeting you young lady. Try to stay safe out there, although, if you've got Kakashi with you, you'll be absolutely fine!" she teased.

Kakashi smiled and chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his head. "I'm nothing special." he replied modestly.

 _So, he is strong. Guess I was right to trust him..._ Harata thought to herself as she snuck a glance up at him, averting her eyes when he looked down at her.

"I might be overstepping my boundaries somewhat, but aren't you a bit young to be traveling without adult supervision?" he inquired.

"What?! How young do you think I am?!" Harata blurted out uncontrollably.

Both Kakashi and the nurse bore looks of surprise at her boisterous outburst, and stared at her for a moment, before the nurse spoke up.

"Fourteen?" the nurse guessed, with an unsure expression.

"Fourteen?!" Harata repeated in disbelief. She knew she was a little short for her age, but that assumption was just ridiculous!

Kakashi wasn't wide eyed like the nurse, but still was fairly shocked by the seemingly calm young woman in front of him yelling so abruptly.

Realizing how loud she had been, Harata gathered her thoughts, and sighed deeply before responding.

"Apologies, but no I'm not fourteen, I'm twenty." Harata corrected with a more docile tone now.

"Twenty...I thought because you were-- hehe, sorry!" the nurse apologized profusely.

"No, it's okay. I'm guessing you thought I was a kid cause I'm short, right?" Harata interrogated, as the nurse's eyes grew comically big and started to water.

"I'm so sorry!" the nurse apologized again, smiling nervously at Harata.

"No really, it's okay...it happens a lot back home too. I should be used to it by now." Harata unwillingly admitted.

"Really? You poor thing. That must be frustrating." the nurse replied, snapping out of her incoherent ramblings.

"No seriously, it's fine. I'm the shortest in my clan anyway. My mom and older sister tower over me--" she broke off mid sentence, realizing she had just volunteered unnecessary details.

"Like I said before; it's okay." she said abruptly, her face flushing a deep red as she put her head down in embarrassment for talking so familiarly.

She didn't even notice how much private information she had divulged until she heard Kakashi chuckle, which made her start getting flustered.

Trying to distance herself from the entire exchange, she started walking toward what looked like the entrance to the clinic hurriedly.

"Oh, I hope I didn't upset her at all. She seemed a bit offended." the nurse worried aloud, as Kakashi nodded in a 'goodbye' manner and followed Harata.

* * *

"Well that was interesting." he said as they stepped out into the bright, warm sunlight.

Harata, ignoring his snarky comment folded her arms and remained silent. But upon seeing the village for the first time, her attitude changed quickly.

It was so inviting...she hadn't expected that from a village full of assassins.

She marveled at the view; it was like she stepped into the feudal era. But it also reminded her of her home somehow. It seemed so peaceful and free. There were food stands, shrines, and all kinds of monuments.

 _This place,_ _is really peaceful..._ she thought as she spun her head left and right, trying to take in everything all at once.

"Shocking..." she mumbled, thinking she said it low enough for Kakashi not to hear.

"Agreed, it is quite a lovely view." he said jokingly, snapping Harata out of her awestruck trance, as she cleared her throat to speak.

"Yeah. It's uh, really nice." she replied, slightly annoyed by her inability to keep her mouth shut as of recent.

There were people wandering around in very similar attire. Kids running about freely. If it weren't for the way everyone dressed, one could assume that it was just a regular small town, dedicated to old traditions.

"Uh, this leader of yours...will they be able to help me?" she asked without thinking.

"The Hokage is the most trusted and strongest shinobi in Konoha village." he replied simply, knowing that would suffice for her.

"Oh, I see. You sure they're not too busy to care about a trivial matter like mine?" she questioned, hoping for another swift answer.

"Well you're situation is, how should I put it? Special. It involves the overall security of this village." he retorted.

Harata understood exactly what he meant. Though she couldn't help but notice how carefully he chose his words, as if not to reveal information needlessly until she could be trusted.

However she wasn't offended. Her ruler never secured an ally by not trusting them first. So this wasn't a foreign concept to her.

Unaware that Kakashi had resumed walking, she ran to catch up with him, so as not to get lost.

* * *

Once they reached the Hokage's residence, he went inside, leaving her to wait outside.

With nothing else to do but wait for Kakashi, Harata found herself admiring the fine craftsmanship of the aged structure.

She leaned against the wall leading to the entrance and looked out over the horizon, noticing a cliff side monument off in the distance.

She gazed at it awhile, wondering who the men were, whose faces were carved into the side until she heard the doors open, as a man with brown hair fashioned into a topknot ponytail came walking out.

"Oh, I didn't realize anyone was out here. Sorry if I startled you." the man said apologetically, with a friendly smile.

Harata merely gave a small nod of acknowledgement toward the man, and bowed deeply.

"Hold on, are you the one Kakashi's team found the other day?" he suddenly asked.

He seemed nice enough, so she decided to engage with him.

"I suppose so...but does everyone know about what happened with me or something?"

 _She's pretty perceptive..._ he thought to himself, not expecting such a direct question, as he chuckled nervously and scratched his nose.

"Well, not everyone exactly. Only us instructors were informed. Oh, by the way I'm Iruka, an acquaintance of Kakashi's." he said extending his hand.

Not wanting to be rude, she shook his hand. "Harata." she replied.

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you." he said with a goofy smile. Seeing how kind he was, Harata became a little less tense; even taking notice of _Iruka's_ attire.

"That gear of yours...your _acquaintance_ wears something very similar to it." she observed, eyeing his vest.

"Oh this thing? Yeah, it's standard issued. Although some of us have some very questionable taste in clothes, this is required of all Jonin." he explained.

"Jo-nin? What is that, some sort of rank or title?" she questioned.

"Yeah, for the most part. But all instructors are required to be ranked a Jonin in order to teach the younger shinobi, which are called Genin." he answered excitedly.

"I see, makes sense." Harata replied as her eyes drifted back toward the giant carved out faces.

"What about that?" Harata asked pointing to the monument. Iruka followed Harata's gaze to the cliff side.

"Ahhh that!! It's a tribute to the leaders of the past. Pretty neat isn't it?" he said, admiring the visage himself.

"It is truly a sight to behold." Harata agreed.

"Where are you from? If you don't mind me asking?" Iruka asked bashfully.

Turning her attention back to the seemingly harmless man in front of her, she gave a vague response.

"Out of town." she replied, hoping that would satiate his curiosity.

"Oh, so you're from abroad? We've never had anyone like that pass through here before. I hope you weren't traveling by yourself, that can be dangerous for a young woman...ah! No offense!" he suddenly blurted out.

Feeling slighted, Harata shot Iruka a sharp look.

"Trust me, I can handle myself. I know my way around a blade." she reassured, which seemed to pique Iruka's interest.

"Do you have a certain profession then?" he asked eagerly.

"Not really. I tend to mix my combat style with various fighting techniques." Harata explained, praying he would relent and finally stop interrogating her.

"I see, well that's a shame. But I must admit, you're quite an interesting individual." he said with a smirk.

"Uh, oh...thank you...I think." she replied with a half smile.

Just then, what looked like a guard to Harata, stepped outside and whispered something to Iruka. Her eyes narrowed with anticipation, as she felt her body tense up once more.

"Yes, of course. Thank you for letting me know." he said as the guard vanished into thin air.

"Well Harata, Lady Tsunade is ready to speak with you. This way please." Iruka said, directing Harata inside of the residence.

She could feel a lump forming in her throat, but she felt somewhat relieved to hear that their leader was a woman. Maybe that would give her some lead way? At least she hoped it would.

She would soon find out what this 'Hokage' was like. She braced herself mentally and stepped inside.


	4. Making New Friends

**After Kakashi's convenient visit to the clinic that team seven brought her to, Harata now found herself standing before Lady Tsunade.**

As she stepped inside, she immediately sensed an unadulterated amount of tension in the air.

 _Was it because she was there, or just her imagination?_ _R_ _egardless, it worried Harata somewhat._

However, the inside was very spacious, and simple for one in such a position of authority.

"Welcome. My name is Tsunade." came a mature sounding female's voice.

Sitting in front of where Harata now stood, was a well endowed blonde woman with brown eyes, and a strange blue jewel in the middle of her forehead.

She wore a forest green hakama coat, and a tan, sleeveless kimono top underneath.

On her head, she dawned a red and white shade; almost crown like in nature, that had writing on it Harata couldn't read. She was gorgeous, but her demeanor felt all too familiar to Harata.

Feeling her military training kick in, Harata immediately bowed deeply, and dare not raise her head until she was instructed.

She also took notice of Kakashi standing off to the left of Tsunade, along with two other men, and a woman she didn't recognize.

Iruka later stepped inside, and stood in the back of Tsunade's office.

"Please state your identity." Tsunade commanded in an authoritative voice; her hands folded just beneath her chin.

"Harata...ma'am." the nervous young warrior complied.

"You're respectful. Good. Now then, I've already read the reports about you, so I'll get straight to the point. Was there a purpose for your passing through here?" Tsunade asked, shuffling what appeared to be 'said' reports in her hands.

"Because I must say, I do find the circumstances in which you arrived in this village quite absurd; But, this was reported to me by one of my most trusted men. So, before you become entangled in a misunderstanding, I'm personally giving you the chance to explain your side of the story." she finished, staring Harata dead in the eyes.

Unsure of what to say, she felt she had no choice but to tell them what she could remember, and pray they didn't think she was some sort of looney heretic.

"You're most likely not going to believe me. I'm giving you fair warning ma'am." Harata explained, as Tsunade shifted in her seat.

"Try me." Tsunade said in response, a noticeable look of intrigue upon her face.

Trying to think of where to begin, Harata gave an audible sigh.

"Ma'am, permission to lift my head so I may address you properly?" she asked.

Surprised by Harata's disciplined attitude, Tsunade smirked a little. "Go ahead." she replied, watching the strange girl carefully.

"Thank you ma'am." Harata said, lifting her face to meet Tsunade's.

Hesitating for a moment, Harata eventually found the right words to explain her dilemma.

"My comrades and I were in the middle of a battle, but we were ambushed. That's honestly all I can remember right now. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in your village's clinic. I have no ill intent toward you or your people. I simply wish to locate my friends, and return home." Harata finished, scanning the room without moving her head.

She could see the unconvinced look on everyone's faces, including Tsunade's.

"Is there anything else you wish to know ma'am?" Harata asked respectfully.

Still a bit suspicious, Tsunade hesitated a moment.

"If I were to believe your words, then that would coincide with all the other accounts of a strange light in the sky yesterday." Tsunade explained.

"Okay, so where are these friends of yours then?" Tsunade continued, still in disbelief after hearing Harata's story.

"I don't know, I assumed they would be here too. But I was the only one that was found." Harata replied, feeling a bit flustered knowing everyone's eyes were on her.

The seemingly collected woman sat silently in her chair for a moment before responding.

"It's a strange story...but I feel as though you've been truthful with me. However I am still curious about that strange light. You don't know anything about that?" Tsunade baited.

"Strange light?" Harata questioned, genuinely confused.

This was the first time she had heard anything about that. Her perplexed expression must have finally convinced Tsunade, because she gave up on pursuing the matter any further.

"Well, I suppose that'll suffice for now. But should anything else come to mind, I want to know about it. Understood?" Tsunade commanded, never breaking eye contact with the young warrior.

"Yes ma'am." Harata replied immediately.

Tsunade then shifted her gaze to her left.

"Kakashi..." she started; causing him to look up from the same little pocket book Harata saw him thumbing through previously.

"Yes?" he answered, waiting for his inevitable orders.

"Since your squad happened to find her, she'll be under your supervision. Keep an eye on her." Tsunade directed at a surprised Kakashi who pointed to himself with his index finger.

"Yes you! Got it?!" she sneered at him, as he put his hands up in defense, signaling his surrender.

After somewhat threatening Kakashi into agreeing, Tsunade then turned her focus back to Harata.

"Who knows, maybe your friends are in one of the other villages." she finished.

"Other villages?!" Harata unintentionally blurted out, causing Tsunade to pause.

"Yes, there are five ninja villages in total. You can search for your friends around the Leaf village, but you are not to go outside of these walls unless you're accompanying Kakashi's team on a mission. Those are the only rules I'll lay down for you while you're here." she replied, then decided to add one more stipulation.

"Oh, and one more thing...I don't want anyone outside of these walls knowing anything about this. Do I make myself clear?" she finished looking directly at Harata.

Naturally, the young warrior was going to comply with these terms, because she desperately wanted to figure out what happened to her allies.

However, she didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble while doing it, so she nodded in agreement.

"Good, then you're all dismissed." Tsunade finally relented, as she went back to fussing with more paperwork.

* * *

As everyone exited, Harata noticed the people she didn't know giving her a questionable and curious look as they went by. It bothered her and made her feel ousted. But, she was an outsider, so she understood.

"Well, I suppose we should go then too." Kakashi said, breaking her train of thought.

For some reason, she was a little nervous about how he would act around her as well.

Now knowing the truth, he probably still wouldn't trust her.

"Um, sir..." she called to Kakashi, causing him to stop walking momentarily.

"Are you talking to me?" he answered, slightly confused as to why she was referring to him as 'sir'.

"Uh, yeah I wanted to--" Harata started, but was cut off by Kakashi accidentally.

"Just call me Kakashi." he said with a smile, which made Harata a little less apprehensive about him.

"Oh, okay. But I wanted to apologize for not being entirely honest with you. It's just...very complicated." she said.

"Huh? Oh, I forgot about that actually." he replied, putting a finger to his masked face as if pondering something.

"You forgot...? Nevermind then." she replied feeling her face flush slightly for bringing it up, when it apparently wasn't a big deal to him.

 _What is with me?! Why can't I keep my mouth shut? Do yourself a favor Harata, and just stop talking!!_ she thought to herself, as Kakashi resumed walking.

"Oh, that's right. I was supposed to meet with Master Jiraiya today" Kakashi thought to himself excitedly.

"Guess I'll just have to bring you along." he suddenly said aloud.

His sudden comment had her curious as to what he meant, but she decided not to ask and just try not to be too much of a burden.

Although she wondered where they were headed, until they arrived at what looked like a restaurant.

Kakashi stopped for a moment and looked around.

"I wonder if he's running a little la- oh nevermind." he said to himself as Harata tried to pinpoint exactly where he was looking. Kakashi then waved to someone, but she couldn't tell who.

"Ah, Master Jiraiya! How have you been?" he suddenly shouted eagerly. This threw her off, as this was the first time she saw Kakashi show any real emotion.

But she soon caught sight of an older man with extremely long, spiky, white hair approaching them. That was the most noticeable thing about him to Harata.

"Ah it's my most loyal disciple! Haha, I've been great! How about you?" the man said heartily, giving Kakashi a friendly slap on the back.

"Disciple?" she wondered as she observed the middle aged man with an evident look of confusion on her face. She was lost in thought until she noticed the older man sizing her up.

"Oh, who's your friend?" he said with a somewhat perverted grin, causing Harata to become even more perplexed.

Not too experienced in the flirting scene, she didn't realize the boisterous older man was checking her out.

"Just a traveler. I've been instructed to look after her by Lady Tsunade." Kakashi explained cautiously.

"Tsunade huh? Guess she's off limits then." the man muttered to himself solemnly, but seemed to perk up again fairly quickly.

"So you're traveling through here? Well it's my pleasure to make your acquaintance young lady. Wait, how old are you?" he asked seeming to be on high alert.

Slightly bewildered, Harata hesitated before answering,

"Twenty. Why?" she replied, taken back by his bold yet friendly nature.

"Ahaha! No reason, no reason at all!! Anyway, I'm the Great Toad Sage Jiraiya; also a part-time writer. You'll have to check out some of my great works sometime! Kakashi'll tell you how great my novels are!!!" he said cheerily.

Though he was a little eccentric, she had to admit that he was pretty amusing.

"I'll keep that in mind." she replied with a friendly smile.

"Hey, Kakashi..." the man who identified himself as _Jiraiya_ called to Kakashi in a serious tone; pulling him aside.

"Yes?" Kakashi replied looking expectantly to his mentor.

"She's pretty cute...how'd you end up with this escort gig? And why didn't Tsunade ask me if I wanted to..." he whispered, so she couldn't hear him.

"Ah well, I just happen to bump into her, so I was ordered to keep an eye on her." Kakashi explained, not quite sure what Jiraiya was getting at.

"You know, you've got a diamond mine on your hands right?" Jiraiya replied, grabbing Kakashi's shoulder and bringing him close, so they could talk privately.

"I don't follow." Kakashi answered nervously.

"Come on, focus for a minute. Just look at that figure!! It's amazing!!" Jiraiya said, fervently trying to get his point across to a clueless Kakashi.

"Oh?" Kakashi responded, still entirely confused, causing Jiraiya to sigh in desperation.

"You're telling me you feel nothing _stirring_ when you look at a good looking woman?!" the mischievous old man tried again.

"Um, by 'stirring', what exactly do you mean?" Kakashi tried asking, already knowing at heart what Jiraiya meant.

Unsuspecting of anything, Harata just figured they were discussing something of dire importance, and wanted some privacy.

She was curious as to what they were talking about, but it was none of her business she thought to herself.

Until she caught Jiraiya looking at her again out the corner of her eye.

She looked up in acknowledgement, thinking he was going to say something, but he just stood with his hand to his chin, as if admiring something.

She watched as his eyes went up and down and bulged a little once they settled somewhere on her body, while his jaw dropped.

Growing impatient, she finally broke her silence.

"Everything okay? You look a bit...troubled. Is there something I can assist you with?" she called out to Jiraiya, now getting mildly annoyed.

Snapping out of his trance like state, he furrowed his brow, and came closer to Harata, until his face was inches from hers.

"Um...yes can I help you?" she questioned, pulling her face back from his.

"Hmmm...my intuition was correct...you're a beautiful woman and you can fight." he said with a satisfied smirk.

"Um...okay..." Harata replied, completely stumped as to what made him say that.

"Hahahaha!! I bet you're wondering how I figured that out? Well, it's quite simple actually!" Jiraiya said cheerfully.

Rather impressed that Jiraiya could tell she was a warrior, Harata waited for him to explain his reasoning.

"It's because...no one gets a body that nice without extensive training!! See, I'm very skilled when it comes to gauging combat abilities." he surmised, leaving Harata fairly surprised.

"You must be pretty experienced combat wise yourself to guess that from just meeting someone." she praised, unintentionally feeding his ego.

"Well, I am a sage after all." Jiraiya said with a mischievous smile.

"Right, you did mention that before. My apologies for addressing you so casually then." Harata said, immediately bowing her head.

"Huh? Oh yeah yeah, I'm as strong as they come!!" Jiraiya proclaimed, reveling in Harata's respect for him.

"Brains and beauty!! Doesn't get much better than that, eh?" Jiraiya shouted, giving a friendly shove to Kakashi, who smiled nervously.

"How about a drink?" Kakashi asked, gesturing toward the restaurant behind them.

"Sounds good to me." Jiraiya agreed as they both went inside, Harata following after them.

* * *

The inside of the restaurant had a sizeable gathering, but wasn't too crowded. Jiraiya and Kakashi showed themselves to a table, and sat down to chat more, while Harata sat quietly and half listened.

Her mind wandered to thoughts of her friends, and how they might be fairing, considering the circumstances.

She thought of how much trouble Setsuna might be causing the inhabitants of the other villages that Tsunade mentioned, and accidentally let a giggle escape her, drawing Jiraiya and Kakashi's attention.

"Something wrong?" Kakashi asked, a sake glass in one hand.

"Oh no, sorry just thought about something funny is all." she confessed, on the verge of tears due to holding back from laughing. "She's probably driving them all insane" she thought to herself, trying not to interrupt their conversation again.

"I see. Well, feel free to join in, if you should feel so inclined." Kakashi offered.

"Thanks, but I'm good." Harata replied, regaining her composure.

"Good conversation while drinking is essential when creating good times with new people! Have a drink! One won't hurt!" Jiraiya offered pouring another shot of sake. Harata half smiled, because she had no intention of getting tipsy. Especially in front of two people she barely knew.

"Oh, I'm okay. I didn't pay for it so--"

"Nonsense! It's only right for a man to pay for a lady's drink. That's the gentlemanly thing to do!" Jiraiya countered, with an inviting grin trying to nullify any attempt she made to not participate.

Somehow, this made Harata feel a bit more at ease. Maybe one drink wouldn't be so bad. After all, she knew how to handle her alcohol very well; having an older sister who drinks regularly.

"Please, have as much as you'd like." Kakashi joined in as well. Harata still had her reservations about drinking amongst strangers but, they both seemed like good people to her. So she inevitably gave in.

"Okay, but I'll only have one drink." she said tactfully as Jiraiya poured another for himself and Kakashi, while Kakashi handed Harata the full one he had.

"Thank you." Harata replied, as Jiraiya raised his cup.

"Ahaha, ah, I've thoroughly enjoyed myself today. Let's do this again sometime!" Jiraiya laughed heartily as he and Kakashi raised their glasses to toast. Noticing, Harata sitting there awkwardly, Jiraiya reached over and pulled her hand with the cup full of sake up to his and Kakashi's glasses.

"Come on now, you too!" he said to Harata.

She gave a friendly smile and raised her glass, pulling the end of her furisode sleeve out of the way.

"To meeting good people, and making new memories!" Jiraiya shouted cheerfully as they all toasted their drinks.

* * *

 **After having a couple more drinks encouraged by Jiraiya, the three parted ways.**

"Glad to see Master Jiraiya is in good spirits." Kakashi said to himself as they walked along.

Even though she didn't really know Jiraiya, she did have fun, which was a rarity for her unless she was fighting.

In fact all of the people she had encountered so far had been fairly kind. A far cry from the way things worked where she was from, but humans were very trusting.

However being treated like an actual woman, instead of a warrior was new to her. Since she was the youngest female in her family, there were many things she wasn't allowed to do.

She was usually never by herself because her sworn brothers were like overprotective fathers, and never let her out of their sight.

Not to mention, descending from a royal bloodline, she was expected to act accordingly. She never spoke to men she was unfamiliar with because they were always too intimidated by her family.

And even though she had only been in Konoha for a day, she was already experiencing things she would have never gotten the chance to at home.

It was somewhat freeing. She actually felt like an adult for once. She enjoyed this feeling, and yearned to learn more. But, some things, she would just never be ready for.

Then, as if to counteract the tension in her mind, Kakashi suddenly broke her train of thought.

"I nearly forgot, I have to run some errands. That's not a problem is it?" he asked. "Uh, no. Don't mind me." Harata said, actually a little curious as to what he needed to do.

"Good." he simply replied as he went off in another direction.

She made sure to follow close behind him this time, which they eventually ended up at a stand that looked like it was selling novels.

 _He seems to really enjoy reading a lot_ she thought to herself as she watched him purchase three new books. Then they set off once more.

They passed many different shops along the way, and one selling weapons particularly caught her eye. She gazed upon the bounty of swords, kunai, shuriken, and some miscellaneous gear.

"Oh wow, that actually looks pretty nice. Kenji might like that." she said quietly, fixated on a certain sword, with a blackened blade and a white hilt.

Not hearing her footsteps behind him anymore, he turned around to see her ogling over some weapons. He took the opportunity to be a little devilish, and sneak up behind her.

"You must really enjoy fighting a lot." he said, scaring her and making her jump back from the display.

"Damn it!! You scared the hell outta me!!" she shouted, her heart beating fast from adrenaline.

Greatly amused by the startled young woman's reaction, Kakashi put his hand up to his mouth and laughed innocently, as if he did nothing wrong.

"Oh sorry. Did I scare you?" he asked nonchalantly.

"No, of course not. What would make you say that." Harata hissed sarcastically through clenched teeth, giving Kakashi a dirty look.

"You like weapons that much?" he asked, blatantly ignoring her annoyed expression. Finally calming down a bit, she answered him honestly.

"I adore them, and forge my own. Though I thought my nephew might like that. It kind of resembles his father's blade. Ironically, they're both shinobi too." she replied as he observed the blade for himself.

Putting his hand to his chin as if thinking hard on something, he went silent for awhile before speaking again.

"It is pretty cool. Why don't you buy it then?" he asked, looking down toward Harata, whose head came to just above his shoulders.

"I would, but I don't have any money on me." she countered as she walked away from the display window.

"Hmm, well I guess I _could_ get it for you. You can pay me back later." Kakashi said as he walked inside the shop, and proceeded to purchase the sword Harata had been looking at.

"Wait, what? Wait!!" she tried but to no avail, due to Kakashi already being on his way back out with the newly purchased blade.

"Here." was all he said before handing the sword off to her.

Trying to figure out what possessed him to act on a whim like that, she hadn't even realized that he'd resumed walking.

Then, glancing to his left ever so slightly, she heard Kakashi let out a sigh, and halt his advance once more, grabbing her attention.

"I should've known they would do this." he said to himself as he turned around slightly.

"Looks like we're being followed." he said casually.

"Followed? By who?" Harata asked, wanting to survey the area, but not be obvious about it.

"Just follow me and stay close." he replied as he continued to casually stroll along.

"Okay." she complied, extremely confused as to why someone would be tailing them. The route they took eventually led them to a heavily forested area just outside of the village.

"Um, where--" she started to ask, but was cut off by Kakashi.

"Hold on..." he replied as he kept moving, Harata quickly trailing after him.

* * *

They finally reached a clearing with a riverside view of some mountains off in the distance, where they stopped; Kakashi standing there with his arms crossed.

"All of you might as well come out now." he commanded into the seemingly empty woods.

Harata looked around confused, and ready to draw her weapons, but noticed the bushes to the right of where they stood start rustling.

"I'm sorry, but did that bush just move?" she asked in disbelief, as Kakashi remained calm and silent.

"man! How'd ya know it was us?" came a boy's voice. Out of the bushes popped two boys and a girl.

"Because you're all too obvious. What are you three doing?" Kakashi asked, mildly annoyed.

"This was all Naruto's idea! I knew I shouldn't have agreed to it." the girl spoke up as well. One of the boys stayed quiet while the other did most of the talking.

"You do the explaining Naruto! This is all your doing!!" the girl snapped again.

"Okay okay, calm down!!" the boy referred to as _Naruto_ cried out.

"Well I was on my way to meet Iruka sensei for some ramen, and saw you walking around with a woman." the outspoken boy explained.

"And?" Kakashi pressed.

"Aaand, that's it-- Ow!! Why'd ya hit me Sakura?!" the blonde boy shouted, rubbing his sore head, as the pink haired girl who was addressed as _Sakura_ frowned up with disapproval.

"Tell the whole story Naruto!! _You_ wanted to follow sensei Kakashi to find out what he was doing!! Geez you idiot!" the ill tempered girl scolded.

"And he talked Sasuke into coming through a stupid bet!!" she continued.

"Bet? What kind of bet?" Kakashi asked, growing confused. _Naruto_ gave a mischievous grin, so sure he was in the right.

"I bet Sasuke that she was your woman, but _Sasuke_ thinks she's not. So I voted on following you to prove him wrong." Naruto said proudly.

 _His woman? Why? Who are these kids anyway?_ she thought to herself, realizing they were being tailed by children all this time.

"I'm flattered, but I'm afraid you've got the wrong idea Naruto." Kakashi replied, correcting his student finally.

"Come on Kakashi sensei! You're really strong! I bet you can get all the babes! Like Kurenai sensei!" Naruto praised, making Kakashi blush a little.

"Goodness, you have such a colorful imagination." he said playfully, Naruto giving him a thumbs up.

"Men. I'm so glad not all men are like that though." Sakura retorted with a look of annoyance, that gave way to a shy smile when she glanced at the uninterested, silent boy standing apart from her.

Unsure of what to think at this point, Harata just stood there, baffled by the whole encounter.

 _What exactly had she gotten herself involved in? Either way, she felt she had to mentally prepare for whatever came next._


	5. Will You Trust Me?

Harata had finally gathered her thoughts enough to make an attempt at inquiring about what was going on.

"Don't mean to cut in, but who exactly are these kids?" she questioned, interrupting the conversation between Kakashi and Naruto.

Forgetting that Harata was even there for a second, Kakashi gave her a blank, lazy stare, then eventually spoke.

"Oh, right. They're my students." he said with forced enthusiasm.

"...students? Those kids are your students?" Harata asked incredulously, as she glanced over at the three youths.

"Correct. The knuckle head is Naruto, the quiet one is Sasuke...and that's Sakura." Kakashi finished, pointing to each one of them.

Dumbfounded, Harata looked back to Kakashi with a questioning expression, but decided to hold her tongue.

"Hi, it's nice to meet yo-- wait, you're that woman we found yesterday!" Sakura said in amazement.

Naruto, just realizing this himself, looked back and forth between Harata and Sakura.

"Oh yeah, I remember now!" he said proudly, causing Sasuke to give an audible sigh.

"No you don't." he replied coolly, setting Naruto off.

"I said I remember now. So if you don't mind staying quiet over the--"

"Loser." Sasuke retorted, cutting Naruto off.

"What'd you say?! Speak up, cause I don't think I heard you right!!" Naruto shouted in frustration.

"I said you're a loser. A loud, obnoxious loser." Sasuke repeated in annoyance, as Naruto stepped toward him, only to be reeled back in by Kakashi grabbing his collar.

"Okay, that's enough you two." Kakashi intervened. "And yes, this is our acquaintance from before. She'll be joining us from now on. So let's try to get along alright?" he finished, as Sakura's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Really?! It's going to be so cool having another girl to talk to!" Sakura squealed excitedly, unintentionally interrogating Harata with a barrage of questions.

"What's your name? How old are you? Where are you from?" Sakura rambled, finally stopping long enough for the bewildered young woman to respond.

"Harata. Twenty. Out of town." Harata replied hesitantly, a bit overwhelmed by Sakura's line of questioning, though she understood the sentiment.

No one had ever expressed that much interest in wanting to get to know her better, other than her best friend Soohyeung.

"Wow, you don't look your age at all." Sakura observed, as Harata dropped her head a little, feeling the sting in Sakura's comment.

"I know, it's because I'm short. But I assure you, I'm an adult." Harata explained. "Oh, sorry...I didn't mean to upset you." Sakura said apologetically with a pleading look in her eyes.

"No, it's okay. I'm not upset." Harata reassured, regaining her composure.

"What were you doing out there anyway?" Sakura asked again, gathering Harata's attention once more.

"I was passing through, and collapsed from exhaustion." Harata answered tactfully.

"how come you were with Kakashi sensei all day?" Naruto suddenly asked, throwing Harata off her guard.

"I-I asked him to show me around, because I'm new here." Harata managed to counter again.

"hey Kakashi sensei, did you tell her what happened?" Naruto asked, his usual mischievous grin forming slowly.

"Yes Naruto, I did." Kakashi replied calmly, now tuning in to what his prankster student was up to.

"even when you squeezed he-- " he was cut off; by Kakashi covering his mouth suddenly, which Harata found a little odd.

"Naruto, you sure talk too much sometimes." Kakashi said with a maliciously, sweet tone, as Naruto struggled to get free.

"Wait, what was he saying?" Harata asked suspicious of the cover up.

"Oh nothing." Kakashi fronted, still covering Naruto's mouth.

Realizing what Naruto was about to say, Sakura got flustered.

"You're better off not knowing what Naruto was talking about." she warned in a whisper.

"But now I wanna know even more." Harata whispered back, certain that this secret was being blown out of proportion.

"Are you sure you really want to know?" Sakura asked, a hint of reluctance present in her voice.

"Is it that bad?" Harata questioned, starting to regret inquiring at all.

"Well...it's definitely embarrassing to say, but I think you have a right to know. But if I tell you, you won't get mad at sensei Kakashi will you? I know it was an accident, but still..." Sakura asked, seemingly at a loss for how to explain what happened.

"I promise I won't get mad. Accidents happen." Harata replied, just eager to find out what the big deal was.

"Okay. So yesterday, when we found you...sensei Kakashi carried you back himself, but in the process...he might have accidentally...grabbed your--" Sakura broke off as she cleared her throat, and pointed to her backside.

Confused by what the young girl was trying to convey to her, Harata gave a perplexed look.

"I don't get it. He felt my back?" Harata replied, unsure of why that was so hard for Sakura to say.

"No! Not your back! He accidentally grabbed your butt!!" Sakura shouted in a flustered whisper.

"He accidentally grabbed your butt!!"

Harata's face instantly soured with regret as those words echoed through her ears, until it finally set in what Sakura meant.

"How exactly did he accidentally grab my butt?" Harata inquired; stone faced.

"I-I don't know, but I'm sure it was an honest mistake!!" Sakura laughed nervously, as Harata went silent for a moment.

Now she couldn't stop thinking about it. It wasn't everyday that she was accidentally groped by a guy she didn't know. Though she eventually managed to regain her composure enough to respond.

"It's fine. I'm not mad. Accidents happen right?Anyways, thanks for telling me." Harata finally replied, trying to hide the evident embarrassment reflected in her monochromatic eyes.

Sakura let out the baited breath, that she unintentionally had been holding in; relieved that Harata wasn't upset.

"You're pretty nice. I would have flipped out if I was you." she whispered to Harata before walking over to rejoin the rest of squad seven.

Surprised by the compliment, Harata watched them all for a moment, until Kakashi spoke up.

"So shall we call it a day? You all will be fairly busy tomorrow." Kakashi announced before sauntering off toward the village.

Harata watched as his students caught up with, and clamored around him. She was quite intrigued by their bond, but decided to follow at a distance so as not to disturb them.

As dusk began to set in, it suddenly dawned on her that she didn't have a place to stay the night.

"Crap, I probably should've asked about that earlier in the day" she thought to herself, in deep regret.

"It's fine, I'll just ask him about it after his students go home." she said to herself as she trailed behind them all.

Shortly after reaching the village, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura bid their teacher farewell, and went their separate ways.

Just as Harata saw her chance to finally ask the eccentric shinobi about possible lodging, he turned to her, and pulled out a small pouch.

"Oh, right. I knew I was forgetting something. Here, a gift from Lady Tsunade." he said suddenly, as he handed her a pouch full of money.

"You can shack up wherever you want with that much." he added.

"Money? I'm very grateful to her for that. Um, do you think you could please point me in the direction of some shelter?" she asked sincerely.

"Huh? Oh, sure. Follow me." he replied as he proceeded to walk along the brilliantly lit streets, as she shadowed him. Eventually, they ended up at what looked to be an inn of some sort to Harata.

The inside was nice and inviting. Very humble, but still noble in its own way. It was a far cry from what she was used to residing in, but she was just grateful to have a place to stay.

At the front was a friendly looking young brunette who smiled brightly upon noticing Kakashi and Harata.

"Welcome. Room for two?" she asked politely, glancing at them both, as a mortified Harata silently tried to signal to her that they weren't a couple.

"Afraid not, though my acquaintance does need a room." Kakashi corrected, much to Harata's relief.

"Okay, no problem. And how long will she be staying for?" the young woman asked, scrawling down something on a piece of paper.

"Actually, I'm not too sure. For now, just charge her daily, if that's not too much trouble." he asked innocently.

"Of course, no trouble at all." she replied, handing him a room key.

"Please enjoy your stay miss, your room is right around the corner to the left." the young woman wished as Harata nodded in thanks, and followed Kakashi.

"This place is fairly sophisticated for a village full of trained killers" she thought with a half smile, failing to notice that Kakashi was down the hall, poking around the room already.

"Oh, not bad. I have pretty good taste." she heard him say, breaking her train of thought, and causing her to hurry down the hall.

Before stepping inside completely, she stuck her head in the doorway, but didn't see Kakashi anywhere.

"Huh? Where'd he go? Did he leave already? That was fast." she said out loud, looking around the room, which was nicely furnished.

As she stepped inside all the way, she noticed a sliding door leading out to a little porched off balcony. Instinctively, she walked over to inspect it.

She had to admit, the view from her room was breathtakingly beautiful. A small, but valiant sight of the village coming to life, adorned by clusters of different colored lanterns. She hadn't anticipated on such a spectacular display from this small in.

Breathing in the fresh night air, she stood out there for a little while longer, before returning inside.

"Well, this has certainly been an interesting day." she said to the emptiness of the room.

Still, it was hard for her to accept what was going on. She wasn't even sure how she would go about things from here on out.

Unsure of what to do with herself, she laid down on the bed, and closed her eyes, trying to envision the battle she had previously taken part in. Realizing her memory was foggy up to a certain point, she gave up and opened her eyes once more.

Her gaze slowly drifted toward the sliding door that she left open to let the night air in.

"Maybe I'll just go to sleep." she muttered to her indecisive self, as she slipped off her wooden clogs and stockings.

Although all she could think about was the current situation. She lay there, attempting to piece together what could've possibly lead up to the current predicament she now found herself in.

What if they're not in these other villages though? What then? Should she just leave? This whole thing might just be a fruitless venture.

Maybe she would see if they would just let her leave tomorrow.

Though to be perfectly honest, she wasn't entirely sure what to do. But maybe a nice bath might clear her head a bit.

"Maybe it's best to just let things play out, and see what happens" she thought as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, and slipped on the complimentary slippers. She got a little excited because it wasn't often that she got to enjoy some down time to herself.

"Well, a little rest and relaxation never hurts." she said aloud, as she headed for the front of the inn to figure out which way the bath was.

Once she reached it, she got undressed, and slipped inside.

"Wow, this actually feels pretty good!!" she squealed with delight, something she'd never do back home.

Getting lost in the moment, she looked up at the night sky. Oddly enough, the stars seemed to shine brighter on Earth, as opposed to her home.

"So this is what humans see when they look at us. Rather comforting I suppose..." she trailed off as she shifted her body in the water slightly.

"Wonder if anyone noticed us missing. Junkai and Toshi probably did for sure. Is anyone even gonna try looking for us? I don't know..." she said aloud with a sigh.

"Pretty nice view from up here." she heard suddenly, causing her to sit up immediately, on alert.

"Who's there?!" she demanded, standing up, and summoning her dual sabers, ready to fight.

"Ah, sorry about that. It's just me." the voice came again. Harata, slowly recognizing who the voice belonged to, turned to face the direction from which it came.

"Hatake san?" she tried, as she lowered her guard a little.

"Yes?" he answered in a carefree manner, obviously not phased in the least bit.

"Where are you?" she called out, looking around to see if she could spot him anywhere.

"Oh. I'm up here." he replied casually, as Harata turned her head back toward the inn, and looked up to the roof, only to see Kakashi laying on his right side, with his right arm supporting his head, as he read his beloved book.

"What the-- why are you up there?! I thought you left already..." she interrogated.

He didn't respond right away, causing Harata to grow slightly frustrated.

"Hey!! Are you just gonna ignore me?!" she shouted in an annoyed tone.

"Hmm? Did you say something?" he replied nonchalantly, clearly more interested in what he was reading as opposed to having a conversation.

Harata, now getting mildly angry, repeated her question. "Why are you on the roof?!"

Finally, he looked up from his book, but he just stared at her for a minute.

"You might want to turn around. I can see everything, you know." he advised.

Harata frowned up in confusion, thinking Kakashi was just speaking cryptically.

"What are you talking about?" she questioned, temporarily oblivious to the fact that she was standing naked in front of him.

"Of course if it doesn't bother you, then I don't mind." he said honestly, as Harata still hadn't realized what he meant.

"You do remember you're bathing right?" Kakashi tried once more. Finally getting the message, she quickly turned back around and jumped into the water.

"You...you didn't have to stare!!" she barked, overwhelmed with embarrassment.

"I tried to warn you." he reminded, focusing his attention back on his book.

She remained silent, reflecting on how a man she barely knew, just saw her in such an indecent state.

"I was instructed to keep an eye on you by the Hokage. But I guess you forgot already." he continued.

"I didn't think you'd be here all the time!! I thought you went home or something!!" she retorted.

"I was given a mission, I have to carry it out by any means necessary." he replied.

She had no response to his answer, although she wondered why he chose to reveal that he was there.

"Wouldn't it have been better to just keep an eye on her without her knowledge?" she thought to herself.

"Don't worry, I won't say anything to anyone. You're fun to tease, but I'm not that mean." he assured.

She didn't know what to say, as she had never been in a situation like this before.

"Apologies..." she mumbled hesitantly, feeling ashamed.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that." he said. She was secretly hoping he hadn't heard her.

"I said my apologies. I didn't mean to display myself to you in such an unsightly manner." Harata repeated, desperately wishing that incident never happened.

"If it's any consolation...I don't think you have anything to be ashamed of...with a body like that." he said in a cheery manner, hoping it would ease her mind somehow.

"It's very nice." he finished with a half hearted smile, trying to choose his words carefully as to avoid any misunderstandings.

Harata, now completely engulfed in shame, sunk even deeper into the water in a depressed manner, igniting all the water into a wall of flames around her.

She didn't know how to respond to him, so she just sat in silence for a bit.

"I don't think my friends are here." she finally spoke up, to which he gave no answer.

"So, I think I'll take my leave tomorrow. If that's alright with you." she went on, assuming he had stopped paying attention again.

"Shouldn't you at least make sure? If they are, it wouldn't be right to leave them behind." he replied, much to her surprise, while still sifting through his book.

"Yeah, but I would've known by now." she retorted, turning her head around slightly to face him.

"They could be in the same state you were in, when we came across you in the forest." he reminded.

She thought about what he said for a moment, and realized he was right. That thought had never even crossed her mind. Though, this only strengthened her desire to find out what happened.

"Fine, I'll stay for now." she said after weighing her options in her head. "But will I actually get a chance to search for them?"

"You'll be reunited with your comrades. Trust me. I'll make sure of it." Kakashi replied confidently.

How could he be so sure of himself? Was there more to this than she knew about?

Needing something to give her peace of mind, she held onto his words. She didn't have much of a choice anyway, so she resolved to believe in him.

"Okay...I'll trust you."


	6. Killing Time

The bright sun had just begun to peek through the paper clad doors of the room, and after a restless night of constantly thinking about her friend's uncertain fate; the feisty young warrior hadn't gotten much sleep.

Now she just lie in bed, watching the morning glow light up the room, but her mind was still preoccupied by the sudden string of strange events.

Her thoughts then shifted back to Kakashi's words. He seemed fairly certain that she would find them.

She wished she could be that confident, but she was finding her hope diminishing slightly. But she felt a strong urge to trust him for some reason.

Maybe it was because he sounded so convincing when they last spoke, or perhaps it was just her desire to have some semblance of reassurance concerning the whole situation.

Regardless...what he had said to her, did rekindle her hope somewhat.

Eventually deciding to get up, she looked toward the sliding doors and decided to open them to let in some fresh air. She had closed them last night after the incident, to ensure privacy.

Still in the robe she put on after bathing last night, she stepped out onto the floor level balcony.

She thought about checking the rooftop of the inn by going to the bath to see if Kakashi was still up there, but decided he must've eventually left...at least she hoped he had.

Either way, she wanted to get out and make some progress towards getting back home. The only problem was, she couldn't move about freely like she was used to doing on her home turf.

For a hot blooded warrior like herself, she found that she was starting to grow increasingly bored from not fighting, sparring, or even just training on her own.

Being somewhat hyperactive herself, she had a desperate need to have something to occupy her time 24/7.

But as much as her fiery soul desired to not be confined to one place, she knew she must adhere to the rules set in place by Tsunade.

She leaned over the railing with her arms dangling, and sighed aloud.

"What else is there for a warrior like me? I exist to fight and serve. Nothing more. In times of peace, what am I to do?" she said out loud.

She knew a part of her duty to the Empire was to find a husband and have a family, but that aspect of being in the military stopped appealing to her ever since she was rejected and manipulated by the first guy she ever developed feelings for.

He treated her so badly, that she had actually considered leaving the world of the living behind. After that, she began to shut her mind off to the idea of having a significant other. But then, she met Takahashi.

He was the first guy who accepted her for who she was. That's why it hurt so deeply when he died so suddenly. Meeting him, had seemed like just a fleeting dream now. After that, she completely gave up on any desire to fall in love.

She had just resigned to the fact that it would always end up in a tragic disaster. So by the time her master came along, she refused to acknowledge any romantic feelings she had for him.

He taught her the true meaning of strength, although he was extremely stubborn himself. She had always enjoyed the time she got to spend with him. But all good things come to an end.

However because of her chance encounter with her master, she eventually matured from a shy, awkward little girl, into a strong, dutiful woman. She would always be eternally grateful to him for that.

Though, she was resolved to never allowing herself to share such an intimate bond of that nature with anyone ever again.

As her mind aimlessly wandered through different points in her life, she looked out over the town listlessly.

How did she end up here?

...Where was everyone else?...

She let her mind wander a little longer before deciding to go back inside; only to find Kakashi leaning against the sliding doors once she turned around, causing her to jump back out of surprise.

"What the he-- !? You're enjoying almost giving me a heart attack aren't you?" she sneered, as her heart rate slowly returned to normal.

Not looking up from the same little book she had seen him reading in the hospital, he gave a vague answer, much like he usually did.

"Sorry, but I don't care much for doors anymore." he replied half serious and half joking, as Harata glared at him.

"Seriously?! That's the fourth time you've done that since I met you!!" she shouted, now getting flustered.

"Really? I got you that many times already? That's quite impressive on my part." he said, ignoring the dirty look she gave him.

"No it's not!! Forget what I said last night! I don't trust you anymore!" she shouted in frustration.

"Well that's not very nice. But I know something that is..." he retorted, looking up from his book finally, a deadly look of intent to intimidate evident as his right eye glowed unnaturally.

"Shall I divulge the specifics of our little rendezvous last night?" he threatened.

Realizing what he meant, her tone changed from mild annoyance to complete embarrassment.

"Okay!! I take it back!! I trust you!!" she immediately conceded.

"Good. I'm glad you're being so cooperative." he said, suddenly switching back to his friendly tone.

"Extortionist..." Harata muttered under her breath as she looked away from him.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" he said in a kind, yet cruel tone, appearing directly in front of her in the blink of an eye.

"Nothi--" she broke off turning her head back in his direction, only to be greeted by his face uncomfortably close to hers.

"N-nothing..." she squeaked out, backing up against the railing, causing Kakashi to merely step closer, so he was in her face again, and continue to stare at her.

"W-what? Why are you so close? What are you staring at?!" she tried, as he remained silent, staring at her with a dead fish eyed expression.

Starting to get freaked out, she readied herself to hop off the balcony if necessary.

"W-what? What are you--?!" she tried again, Kakashi still remaining silent, but stepping closer until there was no space between them anymore.

"Alright!! I'm sorry okay?!" she shouted, noticeably unsettled by his odd torture technique.

As if a switch was flipped, he instantly went back to smiling.

"Sorry, you're just too easy to tease." he said playfully as he backed away.

Her left eye began to twitch due to her nerves being shot, as she stood there with a bewildered look on her face. She had no words to describe how stupid she felt at that moment.

She got so worked up over nothing, and probably looked like a gullible ass to him right now. She was so lost in thought, she didn't even hear him talking to her until he tapped her shoulder.

"Hmm, it would appear my ultimate technique was a bit much for you." he said jokingly.

Still in awe of her naivety, she decided to just forget about the weird exchange, and figure out if there was something he wanted.

"Did you spend the night here?" she asked cautiously, as she stepped back inside.

"No. I got hungry and went home." he replied, with his normal uninterested face, as if nothing had happened.

"Oh...okay." was all she responded with, trying to get a feel for if he was telling the truth.

"Why? You think I'm lying?" Kakashi countered, as if reading her mind.

"Wha--? No, I was just curious is all. But why are you here so early? Didn't you sleep at all?" Harata interrogated, slightly concerned.

"Yes, I did sleep. I don't need much of it though. Very kind of you to worry, but I'm fine. Did you rest well?" he asked, returning the kindness.

Not expecting the tables to turn so quickly, she stumbled over her words a bit.

"O-oh, yeah. I did. Thanks for asking." she replied nervously, as she stepped inside the bathroom to get changed.

"Interesting" Kakashi thought to himself, as he watched her walk away. He barely knew her, but could already read her fairly well. And for some reason, he had quickly grown to enjoy her company quite a bit.

Fully dressed in her normal attire, Harata came out of the bathroom, to see Kakashi lounging on the bed. It threw her off, but at the same time, she found it really funny.

"Oh, right. I have some business to take care of today. Care to tag along? It's outside of the village." he proposed, knowing she wouldn't refuse. She turned her head slightly behind her,

Harata stopped and looked at the wry silver haired man in disbelief. She never assumed she would have the opportunity to leave the confines of her room at the inn so quickly.

"Outside of the village?" she replied curiously.

"Yes." he said, calmly thumbing through his book once again.

"I would be much obliged, if I could accompany you." she said enthusiastically, as Kakashi got up off of the bed.

"Well then...shall we?" Kakashi replied, as he turned to head toward the door; Harata following close behind.

Upon reaching the main entrance to the inn, there was an older woman at the front this time. Kakashi gave a friendly smile and a wave, as Harata nodded in acknowledgement instead.

The older woman gave a warm smile, and returned the greeting with a "Good morning." After which the two headed off to an area at the entrance to Konoha village, to meet up with Kakashi's students.

Once the two of them showed up, the three kids from the day prior greeted their sensei. Naruto, smiling sheepishly at the sight of his teacher arriving with the burgundy haired young woman.

"Alright, let's get going shall we? Naruto, stop thinking whatever it is you're thinking, because it's wrong." Kakashi said intuitively, as soon as he noticed the look on the young shinobi's face.

"Aww, fine!! Man you're no fun Kakashi sensei!!" Naruto complained with an inevitable, mischievous grin.

"I'm plenty fun. In fact, just as fun as your training is going to be today." Kakashi shot back, as they all checked out with the shinobi on guard at the entrance, as Naruto's grin immediately soured into a, frown as he groaned.

They all eventually made their way to the same spot where Harata had first met team seven the day before.

Finally reaching the small clearing that seemed fairly barren, but still ripe with nature; Harata sat on a nearby boulder and watched as Kakashi instructed his students on what they would be learning.

It was kind of endearing to spectate while Kakashi trained Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Harata could tell that there was an extremely strong bond of trust between the four of them, and it only made her long to return home even more than she already did.

But she knew that it wouldn't happen anytime soon, which she had already resolved to in her head.

She tried to occupy herself by continuing to watch the young shinobi practice, but kept catching sight of the sunlight reflecting off of something shiny. Not paying it much mind, she went back to sitting contently, until she noticed movement to her left.

Quickly drawing her attention and Kakashi's, something metal came flying out of the trees towards the unsuspecting group.

Instinctively, Harata summoned her dual blades, and deflected the object, as the others stopped and looked to the tree line as well. Upon closer inspection, Harata noticed what she made contact with was a small dagger.

"Goodness, looks like we have some guests." Kakashi said nonchalantly, blissfully enthralled by the contents of his beloved novel.

"what the--?" Naruto started to say, but grew silent once the culprit behind the lame attempt at an ambush stepped out from behind the trees.

"Look what we got here boys!" hollered a hefty looking man, who looked like he hadn't shaved or hadn't washed in years.

"You should know that you're surrounded. So just give up any valuables you have on you right now." the strange looking man said with a yellow toothed grin.

"I'm afraid we have nothing to give you. Could you please leave now, we're a little busy at the moment." Kakashi said calmly.

"Eww!!! What's that gross smell? Is that you stinky? Man, you need a bath!!!" Naruto blurted out, covering his mouth and nose.

"Who are these guys?" Sakura asked, to no one in particular.

"A bunch of idiots." Sasuke retorted, closing his eyes in annoyance.

Visibly offended by Naruto's comment, the burly man pointed a dingy, old looking sword at him.

"I think we'll kick this party off by teaching this brat some manners!" he grumbled as more men appeared from seemingly nowhere, outnumbering the group of five greatly.

"I'm not too happy about beatin the crap outta a bunch of stinky old guys, but bring it on!" Naruto challenged.

"Disrespectful little bastard! I'll show you how to treat your elders!" the foul smelling man yelled as his allies began to close in.

"I really don't feel like dealing with this right now" Kakashi thought to himself, as six guys surrounded him.

"Hey you!! Are these your brats? You really need to keep them in line! Especially that runt!!" one of the guys surrounding Kakashi taunted.

"What?! Say that again--"

"Naruto, stay put. I guess I'll have to take care of this." Kakashi interjected tiredly, with his hands in his pockets.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kakashi inquired, attempting to give them one last chance to walk away.

"You don't seem to be takin us seriously. Maybe a little cut or two, will change your mind." the leader of the group of aggressors challenged.

With an audible sigh, Kakashi eventually relented.

"Very well. But I tried to warn you."


	7. Troublemakers

"Let's hurry this up, shall we?" Kakashi said, obviously not in the mood to deal with the non-threatening distraction.

"Uh oh! We got us a tough guy here boys! Alright big man, we'll leave the brats out of it." the leader of the rebels jeered, then turned his attention to Harata who he hadn't noticed before.

"Well what a pretty little thing. What's yer name sweetheart?" he said with a creepy grin.

"Not interested." Harata replied curtly, giving a sideways look of annoyance.

"Aw come on beautiful, don't be that way. I'm just being friendly. Let's get to know each other better. Boys, why don't you escort the young lady out of the way, so she doesn't get that pretty little face dirty." he replied sarcastically as five of his men surrounded Harata too.

She could feel their lecherous stares sizing her up.

"Look, don't get hurt needlessly." Harata warned in an annoyed tone.

"Oh! She's a feisty one! I like strong minded women. How about becoming my lady?" the rebel leader replied, laughing heartily.

"No thanks." Harata shot back, arms folded, hoping he would stop bothering her.

"Aww, I don't think she likes me. I'm a really nice guy once you get to know me." he sneered as he walked over to the circle of men encompassing Harata.

"Leave her alone you creep!" Sakura shouted angrily.

"Huh? Shut up kid!" the leader yelled back, ready to advance on Sakura instead.

"Sakura, don't worry about him. Just focus on your training." Kakashi intervened.

"But sensei..." Sakura trailed off. She wanted to knock this guy out, but knew she couldn't handle him herself.

"Okay." she conceded, sounding defeated.

"Alright tough guy, show me what you got!" one of the goons near Kakashi yelled, and lunged at him.

"Good grief." Kakashi said, rubbing the side of his head as he effortlessly evaded the poorly executed attack.

"Sorry, you'll have to do better than that if you want to hit me." Kakashi said unapologetically.

"What?! How-- oh yeah? Well dodge this hot stuff!!" another of the group of six shouted, throwing shuriken at Kakashi.

"I guess this can't be avoided after all." he said regretfully as he dodged the projectile attack and disappeared; only to reappear behind the shuriken wielding drone, and strike him open handed in the back of the neck.

The attacking bandit fell to the ground unconscious, as his buddies watched with bewildered expressions.

"Next please." Kakashi requested politely.

"Bastard! Eat this!" another yelled as he came at Kakashi with a sword.

"Ah, thanks. A little exercise never hurt anyone." he said as he dodged the futile attempts to cut him.

"Damn it!! Stay still!!" the bandit commanded out of anger.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Kakashi replied nonchalantly.

In frustration, the bandit swung his sword prematurely, giving Kakashi a chance to kick it out of his hand.

"Damn! He's too fast!" the marauder yelled out in anger.

"You're just too slow." Kakashi retorted to his current target, as he gave one strong knee to the guy's stomach; causing him to double over in pain.

"Oops, perhaps that was too much?" he said to the now subdued bandit.

* * *

Finally getting a chance to see Kakashi in action, Harata raised an eyebrow, impressed by his fighting prowess.

"Gotcha." she heard as she felt someone bear hug her from behind. She turned her head just enough to see the leader grinning from ear to ear.

"What the hell?!" Harata managed to get out, caught off guard by the big, burly bandit grabbing her from behind.

"I'd suggest you let her go." she heard suddenly, and saw Kakashi standing in front of her nonchalantly, and all the bandits knocked out on the ground in back of him.

"Wait, when did he do all that?" she thought to herself, seeing all the guys who previously surrounded him out of commission temporarily.

"W-what?! How?! My men!! You little-- ouch!!!" he was cut off by Harata head butting him in the chin.

"You little bitch!! That hurt!" he hollered in pain.

As soon as she heard what he called her, she stomped on his foot to make him let go of her.

"Dammit, I'll-- "

Harata didn't let him finish his sentence, as she spun around, jumped up, and roundhouse kicked him in the face, sending him flying into a tree, rendering him unconscious as well.

"Woah, nice aim!!" she heard Naruto shout as all three of them came running over to where Kakashi and Harata now stood.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked Harata.

"I'm fine." Harata answered, wanting to reassure the young girl.

"Good. What a creep!" Sakura replied angrily.

"I highly considered ending him. But that inbred idiot isn't worth it." Harata finished.

"Well I'm glad you didn't, although it would have been his fault. I was going to help, but I figured you could take him." Kakashi finally chimed in.

"At least his smell didn't linger. But I still don't feel clean." Harata retorted, looking herself over in disgust.

"man Kakashi sensei, you were so cool!!! You took all those guys out easy!!" Naruto praised, causing Kakashi to smile nervously.

"Thanks, but they weren't strong, so it was fairly easy." he reminded.

"Yeah that's true." Sakura joined in as well.

Sasuke merely looked at the limp bodies of the now eliminated threat.

"Fools." he muttered quietly, looking down on them with disdain, causing Kakashi to look at the group of unconscious men himself.

"Guess we'll have to move location now. They'll just be a pain to deal with when they wake up if we're still here." Kakashi said as he looked out over the horizon.

"That should do." he finished as he turned to walk into the forest. All three of his students followed suit, stepping over the laid out bandits on their way.

Harata waited until they all got far enough away, then summoned a vortex of flames which engulfed her body, burning away any remaining dirt, and returning her garb to its original pristine condition.

Much better" she thought to herself, as she hurriedly caught up with the others.

* * *

The new spot Kakashi chose to continue training, was the same little clearing that they first discovered Harata's unconscious body.

Once they reached their destination, team seven's training resumed.

Harata watched intently, thinking back to how impressive Kakashi was whilst protecting his students.

 _Would he have really intervened if she couldn't handle him herself? He was pretty laid back for one in his line of work. If it were anyone else like her older sister, older cousin, parents, or sworn brothers...they would've killed the guy for laying his hands on her._

But she figured that was the difference between warriors of a past age and the ones that occupied this village.

Hell, she was ready to kill the guy, but followed Kakashi's example and held back.

Not that she didn't know how to show restraint, but she lived in a completely different environment from them.

Constant wars and battle, being bred to serve and fight, being taught to kill from an early age...she had to admit was a pretty stark difference between their worlds.

Even so, she could respect their decision to not take another's life unless, theirs were in immediate danger. She wondered what Kakashi would think if he saw her in battle.

 _Would he think she didn't value life?_ _Wait-- why does that matter?!_

"I need to train. My mind is wandering too much." she muttered to herself, as she snuck off the path that wound through the forest.

"I should be out of view from here." she said, summoning two bladed tonfas and proceeding to train as if she were in the midst of battle.

She eventually became so caught up in her training that she didn't even notice Kakashi perched in a tree watching her.

From where he sat in his little hideaway, he could still supervise Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's training as well.

He noticed how she intermittently switched between dual sabers, tonfas, and what appeared to be a whip made entirely of fire; changing her fighting style in the process, based on what weapon she chose to wield next.

She even trained without her weapons. It was like a release of pent up energy for her. She sparred by herself to her heart's content, and enjoyed every minute of it from what he observed.

He was genuinely impressed by her vast knowledge of different combat styles.

"I thought as much. She can most certainly hold her own in a fight" he thought to himself. He had to admit his interest was piqued, even if only a little. He was curious as to how many fighting techniques she actually knew.

"Well it's a good strategy for throwing off an opponent. They won't know what's coming next." he said to himself before revealing his presence.

"I take it you've satisfied your urge?" he said aloud, startling her.

Harata turned around to see Kakashi chilling in the shade of a sturdy, old tree.

"You really enjoy doing that don't you?" she asked honestly, starting to get used to him appearing out of nowhere, but not the _scaring_ aspect of it.

"A little. It's just too easy to sneak up on you." he said jokingly.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." she replied, feeling like his snarky retort was her fault.

"You just like climbing things, don't you?" she asked half joking, but half serious.

"Possibly." he replied nonchalantly, causing a look of disbelief to form on her face.

"Why do you fight?" he suddenly questioned, confusing her for a moment.

"Huh?" she replied, being caught off guard by his inquiry.

"Why? Lots of reasons. Because I have to. To protect what I hold close. And to become a strong warrior. Those are just the most important ones." she answered matter-of-factly.

"I see..." he answered, seeming to silently approve of her response.

"What's with the philosophical questioning? Are you trying to see where my head's at?" she countered, slightly suspicious of his sudden interest in her personal life.

"No, just curious. Because you're well versed in war." he replied.

His words surprised her. Did he just compliment her? No, he must've been teasing her again.

"You're just making fun of me, aren't you?" she said in an annoyed tone.

"I know you're stronger than me, so you can be honest. I still have a long way to go." she retorted gingerly.

"I'm not, I'm being serious. Where'd you learn to fight like that?" he corrected, hopping down from his vantage point.

She was still skeptical of his _seriousness_ , but answered anyway.

"My family and my master. I'll always be eternally grateful for what he taught me." she replied, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

"He sounds like a very important person to you." Kakashi said in response.

"Yes, he saved my miserable soul, to put it bluntly. I consider him like family." she replied, with a distant and saddened look, as if remembering something painful.

"Well, they've all done a good job. You seem to have overcome a very hard time in your life because of them. You're already a very strong person for that in itself." he countered, and not wanting to pry any further, dropped the subject.

"Feel free to rejoin us when you're finished." he said as he started walking back towards where team seven was training diligently.

Amazed at how he was able to read her so well, she smiled to herself, and followed after him.

"Wait, I'll walk back with you." she replied, as she jogged to catch up with him.


	8. Let's Play!

After the unexpected turn of events that took place earlier in the day, Kakashi immediately notified Tsunade.

Although she didn't seem too concerned, the busy woman thanked him for the update regardless.

* * *

Following his report to the Hokage, Kakashi decided to treat his team to dinner, for successfully completing their training goal for the day.

"Aww man, this looks so good!! Thanks Kakashi sensei!!" Naruto shouted excitedly.

"Well, I'd say you guys earned it, so eat up." Kakashi replied with a kind smile.

"Thanks for the food!" Naruto said before he dug in.

Sakura immediately frowned up at how quickly Naruto started eating, as Sasuke enjoyed his meal silently. It was a picturesque moment of good memories.

Harata sat by Sakura, calmly sipping some Jasmine tea that she ordered.

"hey, aren't you gonna eat anything? You want some of mine?" Naruto asked, suddenly noticing Harata not eating.

"Aww thanks, but I'm alright little man." she said with a chuckle, thinking how cute it was of Naruto to offer.

"ya sure? It's delicious!!" Naruto tried again smiling happily.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Go ahead and eat alright?" Harata answered, unable to prevent the smile from forming on her lips.

"okay!!!" Naruto said as he continued eating gleefully.

 _That was too_ _adorable._ Harata thought to herself as she watched him finish off his first bowl of ramen, then order another.

Becoming increasingly annoyed by Naruto's voracious appetite, Sakura finally snapped at him.

"Naruto, slow down!! You're not paying for the food remember?!"

"He's just a growing boy." Harata said to Sakura, attempting to defuse the situation.

"If you say so. But he eats like such a pig sometimes." Sakura said defiantly.

"Trust me, he has a normal appetite. I'm around guys all the time, so I see them eat like that pretty often." Harata said in Naruto's defense, causing Sakura to stop mid drink.

"Really?" she asked, amused at how consuming sustenance in the way Naruto does was normal.

"Yup. One of my good friends back home eats just as much. Women can eat that much too, it all depends on whether or not you have a high metabolism." Harata explained, as Sakura listened attentively.

"I eat a good bit too when I'm hungry cause I'm a little hyperactive. It's not as bad as when I was your age though." Harata continued.

"Oh, I get it. It's like using a lot of your chakra, then needing to replenish it by absorbing more energy." Sakura deduced.

"More or less." Harata confirmed, not really sure what Sakura meant by chakra, but somewhat impressed by her ability to understand a complex function of the body.

"You know your stuff for a kid." Harata praised, as Sakura's face lit up.

"That's because I'm a medical ninja." Sakura replied proudly.

"Oh, I see. Makes sense now." Harata said in response, through sips of tea.

"But you must've been traveling for a pretty long time to collapse like that." Sakura suddenly said, catching Harata off guard.

"What do you mean?" Harata asked, wondering what made her bring that up.

"You were unconscious when we found you, remember?" Sakura reminded, taking a sip of her drink as well.

"Oh right. Uh, yeah I guess so." Harata replied dismissively, as Sakura looked at her questioningly, but decided not to ask any further.

"If she ever feels comfortable enough, she'll eventually reveal her reason for being out there I guess." Sakura thought to herself as she silently studied Harata's mannerisms.

 _I_ _really hope this kid isn't gonna keep asking questions. I understand being curious, but she's relentless._

Harata thought to herself, feeling Sakura's inquisitive gaze grow stronger.

 _Does she have to be that obvious that she still wants to know more? I guess that's just how kids are sometimes._ Harata continued pondering, as she finished off her tea.

* * *

Following the hearty meal, the young ninja decided to stick around a little longer.

Harata hoped she might be able to exclude herself from the extended escapade, but she had no choice except to tag along.

Afterwards, all three of Kakashi's students departed. Maybe she could seize this chance to ask him when she might get a chance to actually attempt a search for her comrades.

But before she could open her mouth, he had his head in a book, almost non responsive to any type of communication. At this rate, she felt like she would never make any progress.

"Um, when do you think I'll be able to look for my friends?" she tried, seemingly to no avail.

She couldn't tell if he really hadn't heard her, or if he was ignoring her. It had only been two days, but she was growing restless.

As nice as this place was, she couldn't stay. She didn't belong here. Either way, she was in his debt, so she figured she should wait until it's convenient for him.

 _He probably has more pressing matters to attend to anyway..._ she began thinking, as she watched Kakashi walk calmly in front of her.

But now that she thought about it...he was _always_ reading that same book in his spare time.

Just how good was that book anyway, that it distracted him from human interaction she wondered.

She wanted to try sneaking up behind him, and look over his shoulder, but decided against it due to the fact that he is an assassin.

However, Harata was now quite curious about the book's contents; but didn't want to ask him. Even if she did, he probably wouldn't give her a straight answer.

"I don't have a problem with that. We can go right now if you'd like." he offered suddenly.

Surprised by his response, her face gave way to feelings of embarrassment. "Oh...s-so you heard that huh?" she asked shyly.

"Yes. I don't ignore anyone." he replied, still perusing through his book.

 _Like hell you don't!!!_ she screamed angrily in her head, thinking back to last night when he ignored her.

"That's alright. Sorry, I just get a little anxious sometimes. It's--" she broke off mid sentence, realizing how comfortable she was beginning to feel talking to Kakashi.

Not wanting to reveal any more info about her personal life, she went silent.

Confused, Kakashi turned around to see why she stopped talking.

"Something wrong?" he asked genuinely concerned. But as soon as he turned to face her again, Harata looked away flustered. Upon noticing how red her face was, he tried again.

"Are you not feeling well? You can head back if you aren't."

"I'm fine. Besides, you promised I'd see them again, so...I can wait." she reminded him.

"I said that? Really? Guess I forgot." he said in a carefree manner, turning his attention back to his book.

Amazed that he forgot what he said just last night, Harata's face soured into a look of disappointment.

"Maybe I'm the one who forgot. I must've just imagined it." she replied, feeling even more embarrassed than she initially did.

"Well, I don't have anything else to do today, so you can leave if you want." he said suddenly. Though for some reason, it made her feel like a bother.

"I don't mind accompanying you for the rest of the day. But if my presence is becoming troublesome for you, I can take my leave." Harata replied, attempting to sound like she didn't care either way.

Kakashi looked back at her again in confusion, but his lack of expression made it hard to tell what he was thinking.

"You certainly are quite the fickle one." he simply replied as he turned back around and continued to walk in silence.

Not sure what to make of his reaction, she paused before continuing to follow him.

"Did I make him mad?" she began to wonder as they both walked in silence. Feeling guilty, she quickly ran in front of him to impede his path.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to annoy you." she said apologetically. She bore a look of genuine guilt as she awaited his response.

"Oh dear. It seems you misunderstood me. I'm not angry at all." he laughed nervously, feeling bad.

Hearing his response, she felt like she had been smacked in the face. She felt so stupid for overthinking the situation, and wanted to just disappear.

 _Why did she open her mouth so preemptively?_

"Oh." was all she said as she dramatically put her head down in disgrace.

"But thank you. No one's ever said that to me before." he replied nervously, the little bit of his revealed face reddening slightly.

Then it registered with her what she had just said. Her face evident of her embarrassment.

"Wait...I didn't mean it like that." she quickly followed up, as Kakashi remained as blank faced as usual.

"Didn't mean it like what?" he finally repeated in an inquiring manner.

Feeling slightly foolish for jumping to conclusions, Harata merely waved it off dismissively, and continued on walking.

But he did just say he wouldn't mind going right then and there. Maybe she should hold him to his word.

"Let's go then." she said suddenly, as she started walking back toward the entrance to the village.

"I beg your pardon?" he questioned, as he shadowed her.

"We'll go look right now then. You said you didn't mind, right?" she challenged.

"Oh, right...I suppose I did just say that. Very well, I'm a man of my word." he replied reluctantly, as he gave a nod of acknowledgement to the other baffled Jonin on guard duty.

As soon as they passed through the gated entrance, Kakashi took control over the spur of the moment situation.

"Well, the spot where my squad first found you might be worth looking into. Wouldn't you agree?" he coaxed.

"You don't really have to help me look. You can just relax if you want. I only have to be supervised right?" she replied confidently.

Thinking about it for a moment, he realized there was some truth to what she said.

"I suppose you're right. Just try not to get lost, if it's not too much to ask." he said in response as he assumed a hidden position within the trees.

Harata looked back at Kakashi, and nodded in agreement as she walked off.

Watching her walk away, he settled back into his perch, and resumed minding his own business, but couldn't help but analyze what she said before.

"She wouldn't mind accompanying me all day, huh? She's certainly a strange one." he thought aloud, as his mind continued to wander.

* * *

Noticing dusk starting to set in he wondered exactly how long she planned on being out there. Not wanting to be out of the village all night, he thought he'd better go find her; keeping to the trees out of habit.

"How far did she go exactly?" he wondered, scanning the area thoroughly. Once he moved on to the next clearing, he caught sight of her by a riverbank.

He watched her awhile as she knelt by the edge of the river, and eventually laid on her stomach.

"What in the world is she doing?" he wondered, observing her in utter confusion.

As soon as he heard her start talking, his confusion quickly increased.

Wondering who she was talking to, he noticed she was staring into the water. Taken aback by her strange behavior, he finally hopped down from the tree he was residing in quietly.

"You're such a little cutie!! I wish I could take you home with me, but I can't. You might freak Soohyeung out." he heard her say as he resisted the urge to make his presence known.

However, by this point, he was completely baffled as to what he was witnessing, so he decided to see what had garnered so much of her affection.

He walked up beside an unaware Harata, and stooped down to get a better look at what she was fussing over.

To his surprise, it was a blue frog with black stripes over the tops of its eyes.

"A frog? I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that." he thought to himself, as he continued to watch the odd sight, though it seemed he unintentionally scared the small creature away.

The sudden departure of the frog appeared to sadden Harata slightly, as she watched it hop off.

"Oh okay, be careful little guy." she called out after the startled amphibian, sighing as she plopped her head down onto her folded arms for support.

"I think I scared him." she heard causing her to quickly look to her left, seeing Kakashi stooping beside her, and letting out a small yelp.

"Oops, sorry. I actually wasn't trying to scare you this time." he said apologetically.

"It's fine." she replied in a downtrodden tone of voice.

"Is this where you were all this time? I got worried you might've been lost." he said in a concerned manner.

"Uh...oh. Well...when I was looking around, I saw him sitting there...and got a little distracted. Apologies." she explained.

"I didn't see anything of importance, so I just started playing with the little guy instead." she finished, somewhat ashamed by her easily distractible nature.

"I see." was all he said as he looked out over the water. They both went silent for awhile, until Harata broke the silence.

"Sorry I forced you to come out here so suddenly."

"Hmm?" a confused Kakashi responded.

"I said sorry for making you come out here for nothing." she repeated.

Realizing what she said, he tried his best to sound like she hadn't inconvenienced him.

"No worries. I was rather bored anyway." he replied to her surprise.

"Really? Well, this isn't the most productive thing to cure boredom, but did you at least relax and enjoy your book a little?" she asked innocently, trying to make amends.

"Oh, yes I did. Thank you for asking. I'm nearly finished with this one." he answered happily.

"That's good. What's it about anyway? It must be really good if you're reading it all the time." she inquired.

Kakashi hesitated a minute, as if trying to consider the best way to explain the contents.

"To put it simply, it's a masterpiece. The expressiveness and development of the characters is spectacular! It really pulls you in as the reader!" he went off excitedly.

Surprised by his energetic outburst, Harata bore a look of shock.

"Sounds pretty amazing. Maybe I'll check it out sometime. What's it called?" she asked, actually intrigued now.

"Make-out Paradise." he said nonchalantly, with the blankest face possible.

"...What?..." she questioned, convinced he was screwing with her.

 _How the HELL can he say that with such a straight face?!_ she screamed in her head, her cheeks turning a bright red, with a dramatic expression of bewilderment on her face.

"It's a romance novel about-- "

"No, no! That's okay! I figured it out!!" she cut him off, about to pass out from all the blood rushing to her head.

"It was written by Master Jiraiya. It's really a good read. I highly recommend it." he said eagerly.

"Wow, that's incredible." she replied with strained enthusiasm.

 _That explains a lot..._ she thought to herself, remembering her first meeting with Jiraiya.

"Yes, Master Jiraiya is very well versed in literature." Kakashi went on, as she listened patiently.

"Well I can tell you really admire him." she replied with a genuine smile, once he had finished.

Seeing Kakashi talk so freely about something he enjoyed was quite endearing. He sounded like a young boy singing his father's praises...regardless of the context of the conversation.

Which after a while, he went silent as he buried his face in his book again. She was so lost in the ethereal surroundings, that she didn't even notice that he had stopped talking.

Then out of the corner of her eye, she noticed lightning bugs dancing around the edge of the river, as the moonlight reflected off the water.

The warm, fresh air was absolutely intoxicating; so serene and peaceful. She had to admit, she was enjoying herself at that moment in time.

It was so calming right then, that a sudden wave of nostalgia hit her, as the scenery was reminiscent of the ancient burial grounds from her home. She lay there taking in the sight.

"This place is really peaceful. I wouldn't mind living here." she said without thinking.

Kakashi merely shifted his gaze toward her, curious as to what made her change her mind about wanting to leave.

"Not that I could, but I wouldn't mind visiting this place again at least. I feel at ease here somehow." she finished as she pushed herself up on her knees with her arms, noticing Kakashi looking in her direction in the process.

"What's wrong?" she asked as he pointed to something wiggling beside her hands.

"There's a snake by you-- " he was cut off by Harata jumping away from it, and bumping into him, knocking him onto his back, as she fell on top of him.

"NOPE!! Nope nope nope! I don't do snakes!" she protested as she pulled her body away from where the snake was slithering, and clung to Kakashi's vest.

"Please do something, or I'll burn it alive!!" she pleaded desperately, shutting her eyes out of fear.

Trying not to laugh, Kakashi nudged it into the water with his foot.

"Don't worry, it's gone now." he said calmly, as she started to release the death grip she had on him.

"Really?" she asked hesitantly, opening one eye to peer down at where the snake had been.

"I promise. It's swimming away now." he said as if talking to a child.

"Okay." she said as her body went from tense to relaxed.

"Are you alright now?" he asked sarcastically as Harata nodded, not catching on.

"Good. And as nice as this feels, perhaps this isn't the best place for something of _that nature_." he teased mercilessly.

"Huh? What do you mean..." she began trailing off as she finally realized she was laying on top of him. Her face went blank as she slowly got up off of him, and stood up.

"Apologies." she replied emotionlessly.

"Well I don't mind, but I figured you might." he countered, standing up himself.

"I think I'm done for now." she said stone faced, as she turned to start walking back towards the village.

Feeling a little bad for being so mischievous, he smiled innocently.

"Maybe I should ease up a little. But it's just too fun." he thought to himself, as she walked ahead of him feverishly.

"...She's just such an easy target..."


	9. A Night Out on the Town

The following day, Kakashi reported to Tsunade about Harata. Even though he himself felt that she bore no ill intent, he still needed to carry out his mission.

Upon arriving, Kakashi discovered Jiraiya was already inside speaking with Tsunade, so he entered quietly and waited in silence for Tsunade to address him.

Once the stern looking woman finished speaking with her old friend, she finally turned to greet the quiet jonin.

"It's been awhile Kakashi. What's your assessment of this girl so far?" Tsunade questioned, as the silver haired shinobi prepared to speak.

"She appears to have no ulterior motives." Kakashi reported.

"Good to know. Jiraiya already said he's heard no news of similar happenings from any of the other villages. So, what's your overall analysis?" Tsunade interrogated.

"She hasn't revealed any information that would be cause for alarm, so I feel...she can be trusted." he replied.

"I see. Good work. Do you have anything planned for today?" Tsunade inquired.

"No, nothing. I can make plans if you'd like." he answered.

"No, act of your own accord. You still have your students to focus on. If there is no further need, then you can loosen the reigns a little." she ordered.

"Understood." Kakashi replied, already preparing to leave, until Jiraiya spoke up.

"Oh, you talking about that young lady who's been with him? She's pretty good looking! If it were me-- "

"I wouldn't entrust _you_ to look after a woman. Kakashi's not a womanizer. So I don't have to worry." Tsunade retorted, cutting the old sage off, and growing mildly annoyed.

"Oh come on Tsunade! You still won't give me a chance after all this time?" Jiraiya complained; Tsunade visibly fed up with his antics.

"Will you give it a rest!!" she sneered, as Jiraiya smiled apologetically.

"Well, I suppose I'll take my leave then." Kakashi said cautiously, as Tsunade and Jiraiya continued to go at it.

"Good seeing you again Master Jiraiya." Kakashi waved happily, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Kakashi reappeared outside, contemplating how he should proceed concerning Harata from here on out. Something inside him trusted her when he first spoke with her, but he didn't know if it was just pity or not.

Tsunade told him he didn't have to watch Harata as closely anymore, but should he still keep her close to his side?

Perhaps he should still keep a vigilant eye on her. If only for her sake, at least until she was reunited with her friends.

He convinced himself that this was reason enough to keep watching over her, as he went about the rest of his day.

* * *

Back at the inn, Harata was standing outside on the first floor balcony enjoying the breezy view. She couldn't stop thinking about what happened last night, and got embarrassed all over again remembering how she grabbed onto him.

"Hopefully he won't come by today. I don't think I can handle seeing him right now." she said to herself.

"I need to just get over it already. It wasn't that big of a deal. I've done the same thing with Junkai and Toshi plenty of times. Why was last night any different?" she rallied herself.

 _It's okay. Nothing bad is going to happen. Everything's_ _fine_. She repeated in her head. Though, she soon found herself thinking about him again.

"What the hell is wrong with me?! Why can't I get him off my mind?!" she hollered, causing one of the workers at the inn to knock on the door to see if she was okay.

After reassuring the woman she was fine, she walked over to the bed and plopped down on it. What was she going to do for the rest of the day?

It was made clear that she was under no circumstances allowed to leave the confines of Konoha without supervision, but maybe she could at least walk around the village freely?

It wouldn't be going against the rules Tsunade set in place for her, so it should be fine, right?

She sat playing with her heart shaped necklace, before deciding that some interaction with people might do her some good. Just so long as she didn't leave the village.

* * *

Stepping out on her own for the first time felt quite liberating. She walked down the path leading towards town, and admired her surroundings along the way.

Once she reached the heart of the village, she casually strolled along as if she were a resident. Eventually growing hungry, she found her way to Ichiraku ramen, and went inside.

Taking a seat at the counter, she sat patiently, and waited to be assisted. Then a man who looked to be the owner to her came up to her.

"Oi, welcome!! What can I get you?" a middle aged man asked with an inviting smile.

"Uh, well...I'm from out of town, so I don't really know what's good." she replied apologetically.

"That's alright! Everything's good here, but I'd recommend the spicy ramen. It's delicious!" the man replied cheerily.

"Okay, then I'll have that." Harata agreed.

"Coming right up!" the man said as he stepped away to prepare the food. She waited patiently, looking at all the people patronizing the food stall.

 _Wonder if it's always this busy? Seems pretty family friendly, so I can see why._ she thought to herself, as she observed her surroundings.

"Here you are young lady! Enjoy!" she heard from in front of her suddenly. She turned back around to the heavenly aroma of a steaming hot bowl of ramen with various spices.

"Thank you, this smells amazing!!" she said gratefully as she prepared to eat, taking care to pull her sleeves back first.

"Thanks for the food." she said quietly as she blew on it to cool it off.

* * *

After finishing and paying for the meal, she thanked the street vendor and moved on. She soon found a little area across from a playground with some benches, and sat down to enjoy the calming breeze.

"I'm glad I chose to come out today." she said as she snacked on some dango she bought along the way.

Off to her right, she could see a group of four little kids tossing a ball back and forth. For some reason, she felt the need to keep a watchful eye on them.

"Guess they live close by." she thought aloud, as she took her last bite, and stuck the skewer in her mouth like a toothpick. Another skewer full of meat clutched in her left hand.

Then seemingly from nowhere a small brown dog came up and started sniffing at her hand.

"Aww, where'd you come from buddy?" she asked excitedly, leaning over to pet the pup.

Noticing the dog sniffing at her left hand, it finally registered why the dog came over.

"Heh, you smelled this didn't you? You want it? Here you go buddy. Eat up." she said as she pulled the meat off the skewer and tossed it on the ground. The dog sniffed it, then started nibbling at it.

"Enjoy, cutie." she said as she watched the small dog eat.

It suddenly occured to her that someone may have lost their four legged companion, so she began looking the little pooch over for a dog tag, or any kind of identification.

"You have a collar or something? I don't even know if you're a boy or a girl." she asked, obviously knowing she wouldn't get a response.

"I guess not. You lost too? I bet someone's looking for you." she said as the dog finished eating and happily wagged its tail.

Then as if it heard something the dog cocked its head to one side, then ran off just as suddenly as it appeared.

 _Well that was weird. Guess its owner called_ _it_

She thought to herself as she went from sitting with her legs crossed, to laying on her back.

Having no idea what else to do, she started daydreaming at the clear blue sky, her hands resting on her stomach, until a shadow started blocking out the sunlight.

"What the-- ?!" She said as she looked up a little further and noticed Kakashi standing above her. She quickly sat up and turned to her right.

"Hello there. Fancy meeting you here." he said in his usual friendly manner, although, he wasn't alone this time.

Just behind him, she saw a man in what looked like green spandex standing there with him.

"Ah Kakashi, isn't that the odd woman you've been with all the time as of late?" the man spoke, in a strangely upbeat manner.

"Yes Gai, it is." Kakashi answered, sounding a little annoyed. Unsure of how to react, she remained silent.

For some reason, she was considering just running away from the both of them, until she saw the little brown dog at Kakashi's feet.

"Wait, what?" she blurted out in surprise.

"Hey, thanks for the grub." the dog suddenly spoke, leaving her completely baffled.

Maybe she should've just made a break for it after all she thought, still trying to process the fact that a dog just talked to her.

Seeing the look of bewilderment on her face, Kakashi spoke up.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's just my partner. Thanks for feeding him." he said nonchalantly.

Not knowing what to say, she just nodded in acknowledgement.

"Well it's nice to meet you Kakashi's lady friend. I am Might Gai." the man Kakashi addressed earlier said suddenly. Which again, she merely nodded her head in acknowledgement.

 _What is one supposed to say to what just transpired?_ she asked herself silently.

"I think I need a drink." she finally said out loud, as she stood up and started walking away.

"Oh? She's leaving? I thought you and your lady friend were well acquainted?" Gai questioned a visibly bothered Kakashi.

"Maybe you scared her." Kakashi retorted.

"Me? Scare a lady? Hahaha! Kakashi you're such a kidder!" he said cheerily as he hit Kakashi on the back.

"I wasn't kidding." Kakashi said, his response drowned out by Gai's continuous laughing.

* * *

Once she felt she was far enough away. She stopped walking, and looked back to the spot she had just been.

"What are the odds that dog would be his? Is this a joke? Am I being pranked?" she said out loud, trying to comprehend what had just taken place.

"Did my strength scare you off? Sorry, I'm just too amazing for my own good! Ahahaha!!" she heard from in front of her.

"What the fu- ?!! How?! Why?!" she shouted out of surprise, her eyes wide from being scared half to death.

"Sorry about him. He insisted on what he considers apologizing to you. He's in a league of his own." Kakashi said as they both approached.

Composing herself, she looked at Gai in disbelief. This guy, he was...peculiar, but he appeared to be Kakashi's friend, so she felt she should be respectful.

"H-hello. Nice to meet you...I think." she said cautiously.

"Fantastic! You accept my humble apology then! Please look after Kakashi when I can't. This man is a good friend and rival of mine." Guy said proudly.

"Uh huh...I see..." she replied, still feeling a little skiddish.

 ** _"_** _ **That was a humble apology?"** _she thought, with a look of doubt.

"On your way somewhere?" Kakashi asked Harata.

"N-no, just out for a walk." she said weakly.

"Sounds nice. Enjoying yourself?" he replied.

"I was..." she answered honestly without thinking.

Picking up on her uneasiness, he gave her an apologetic smile.

"What about you? Were you two sparring or something?" she asked innocently.

"Sparring?" they both said in unison, curious as to how she came to that conclusion.

"As fun as that sounds, I don't want to put Kakashi to shame! Right Kakashi?" Gai said cheerfully.

"Huh? Yeah, sure." Kakashi replied dismissively, his face glued back to the newest issue of his favorite book.

"I see. Well, don't let me keep you. Have a good day." she said sheepishly as she took off in the other direction.

"Farewell Kakashi's lady friend!" Gai called after her, then as if a flip had been switched, he grew serious as he turned to speak to Kakashi.

"Is it okay for your acquaintance to be moving about so freely?" Gai asked the distracted jonin.

"Lady Tsunade only restricted her from going outside of the village alone. It's fine if she's just out here." he replied, never lifting his head.

"Well, if the Hokage trusts this woman, then I suppose there's nothing to worry about. But do you know anything about her?" Gai countered as he watched Harata until she was out of sight.

"Not much. She's very particular about what she says." Kakashi answered.

"Well, she seems like a trustworthy person. She scares easily, but she's nice." Gai replied, catching Kakashi's attention.

"So you noticed that too." he said in response, finally peering over at his self proclaimed rival.

* * *

Thinking back on her brief, but strange encounter with Gai, her first impression was that he was a very eccentric man, but amusing nonetheless.

Moreover, she was glad to be out of that awkward situation. She decided to walk around a bit more, then grab something else to eat.

However, it did ease her conscience a bit knowing that Kakashi wasn't always alone.

He seemed to relish the down time he had to himself, from what she could tell, but still it was good that there were people who looked out for him.

Being lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice that she had wandered a little farther than she planned. Though, it didn't bother her, because she was having fun.

 ** _"_** ** _Guess this place isn't so different from anywhere else. But I never thought it would be so carefree_... _"_** she thought to herself as she continued her self guided tour of Konoha.

* * *

There wasn't much more to see in the village, but she felt better being around the locals as opposed to being alone. Some of the villagers gave her curious looks, but she chalked it up to her being an outsider.

It was off-putting, but understandable. Her appearance made her stick out from the locals.

Though once she had satisfied her desire to explore, she decided to head back to the inn.

* * *

As she returned from her day out, she was greeted warmly by an older woman at the front, as she walked back to her room. In passing, she bowed her head slightly to acknowledge the woman's kind gesture.

However when she stepped inside of the room, she noticed the sliding doors ajar.

Thinking she must have just left them open absent mindedly, she calmly walked over, ready to slide them shut, but stopped when she looked out over the village from the small balcony.

Letting the soft breeze dance upon her cheeks, and play with her hair, as she took in the view, a loud sigh once again escaped her mouth.

 _What would happen from here on out?_ she wondered with mixed emotions.

 _And what would she do...if she could never return home?_


	10. Surprise Visit

So much time had gone by since she first arrived in Konoha. Sometimes, she couldn't even keep track of the days.

All she knew was, a couple months had passed with still no word of anyone matching the description of her friends. She was beginning to lose hope due to not knowing the outcome of her comrade's fate.

Why was she the only one who ended up being brought here?

From what she could remember, the entire swordswoman unit had been engulfed by that strange light. Shouldn't they have all ended up in the same place then?

It was clear to her by now that she was on Earth at least, but it seemed to be an altered version of the world she was familiar with.

Yet, she still couldn't figure out how all four of them could have been separated.

 ** _"_** ** _Is that what it was? Soohyeung can summon portals and crap too right?_ _"_** she wondered, confused as to why she wasn't just teleported to another location within her dimension.

She knew nothing of sorcery herself, only that the user was able to call upon power from a superior being.

Then it occurred to her that the man Kakashi had raved about, Jiraiya, claimed to be a sage. If that was the case, then she might be able to seek him out for assistance.

However, she had no real way of knowing for sure if he would be able to help. She was banking on a whim and a prayer that he could though.

The only problem being...she had no way to make contact with him.

For that matter, it had been awhile since she was last in contact with Kakashi or his squad.

"He hasn't come by for some time. He's probably been really busy anyway." she said to herself, as she paced back and forth in an agitated manner.

"I don't get it!! Why us? What was the point? Just to avoid fighting us? It's not like we were the biggest threat there! Damn it all, I should've just burned her ass alive when I first saw her!!" she suddenly snapped loudly, getting angrier at the precarious situation by the second.

"Goodness, someone's in a bad mood." she heard from the landing outside. She wrenched her head around angrily to see Kakashi leaning against the railing looking fairly surprised at how mad she was.

"Quite the colorful vocabulary you've got there. Did something happen?" he asked cautiously, careful not to step inside until she calmed down.

"Oh...sorry, it's nothing." she replied, suppressing the urge to hit the wall.

"Doesn't sound like nothing." he retorted, taking note of her body language.

"I'm just still trying to figure all of this out. I mean, all four of us got caught in that magical light shit or whatever, but only I end up here? It doesn't make sense to me." she blurted out, unintentionally revealing more info than she wanted to.

"Interesting..." Kakashi thought as he started focusing intently on what she was saying.

"Exactly what do you mean by the four of you getting caught in the _light_?" he baited, Harata playing right into his trap.

Pausing for a second to calm down so she could think properly, she recounted all the events that she could remember taking place that day.

"Well, we were in the middle of a defensive battle. Our unit was leading the charge. We come across some old bitch with five generals guarding her.

They tried a sneak attack, but we cut 'em down. There was two guys left I think; a grand general and his subordinate. They try ambushing us again, and next thing I know there's light all around us, then I wake up in a hospital bed." she finally finished with her back to him.

"Sounds like you lead a hectic life." he replied, quite satisfied that her anger betrayed her. He knew she was hiding more than what she initially let on, but it was only a matter of driving it out of her.

Though he never imagined it was anything this pertinent.

"Yeah, serving in an inhuman military is like that someti- " she stopped abruptly, now aware that she spoke too much.

"...shit..." she muttered under her breath; mentally kicking herself for being so hot blooded, and not paying attention to what she was saying.

"Something wrong?" he casually asked, narrowing his eye.

"Oh, uh...no not particularly..." she stammered, knowing he caught on to her slip up.

"You should have told Lady Tsunade everything. I have to report this to her." he replied firmly, as she turned around defensively and stared him in the eye.

"Honestly...would either of you have believed that I'm not from this planet? It's nothing against you or your leader, but I'm under orders by my ruler to never reveal information about the existence of inhuman beings under any circumstances." she countered.

"Inhuman? What exactly are you? A demon?" he interrogated, as if challenging her to a standoff.

"That might be a bit complicated to explain..." she trailed off, unsure of how to explain to him that she was quite literally a celestial being.

"Complicated? How so?" he countered, making her squirm a bit.

"Well because... So anyway- regardless of where I am right now, there are strict laws I still have to abide by." she explained as best as she could, blatantly ignoring his question.

"Oh? Care to complete that previous thought?" he coaxed.

"I haven't the slightest clue as to what you're referring to kind sir." Harata retorted with a guilty, yet blank look on her face, making Kakashi just give up on inquiring any further.

"Why is it you can't divulge this information?" he questioned, looking rather perplexed.

"If I do anything to cause trouble for the Empire, it's considered treason where I'm from. The highest offense, punishable by death." Harata explained as simply as possible.

The last words she spoke seemed to unnerve him slightly, as he bore an expression of disbelief.

"You would be put to death? A bit of a barbaric practice isn't it?" Kakashi questioned, seeming genuinely concerned for once.

"That's how order is kept in our Empire. And considering it's been around since ancient earth, it's not unusual to those who serve." she continued, hoping this explanation would satisfy his curiosity.

"I see. As unbelievable as this sounds, I guess everyone has their methods." he replied to her relief.

"It's fine if you don't believe me, but for what it's worth; you have my word that what I told you is the- "

"I believe you." Kakashi replied, cutting Harata off, while still holding eye contact.

"What?! Seriously? Cause I know you thought I wasn't telling you everything." she admitted.

Intrigued, he cocked his head in an inquisitive manner, "Am I that easy to read?"

 _Crap! Why do I keep doing that?!_ she panicked in her head, thinking of how to explain that careless mistake.

"Guess I'm just good at reading body language, heh heh." she laughed nervously, praying he wouldn't start asking questions about that now.

"Really? Rather impressive. Almost like you read my mind." he replied suspiciously, as her body tensed up.

Worried over how to admit that she possessed telepathy, she eventually just decided it was better to conveniently leave that part out.

"Will that suffice?" she asked pleadingly.

"I suppose so." he answered reluctantly after a moment, still studying Harata carefully.

Beginning to feel extremely apprehensive because of Kakashi's line of questioning, she tried to change the subject; attempting to gain control of the conversation.

"Hey, do you know anything about casting spells?" she asked suddenly, catching him off guard.

"I'm sorry...? Casting...spells?" he mirrored back, absolutely baffled.

"Yeah, like making someone disappear, or teleport kind of casting spells?" she reiterated.

"You mean something like genjitsu?" he tried, as a serious case of confusion spread across Harata's face.

"Um...I guess so. If it can defy the space-time Continuum, then yeah." she said with a hopeful smile.

"Well, that...I can't say anyone has really tried..." he trailed off, growing concerned with her intentions.

"What about that sage guy? Would he know?" she asked eagerly.

"Sage guy? You mean Master Jiraiya? I'm not sure. You'd have to ask him." he replied, with his finger up to his mouth, as if considering the possibility.

"Awesome!! Where is he?" Harata asked excitedly, a bright eyed enthusiasm befalling her.

"Well...I don't know. He gets around." Kakashi explained, seeing the hope deflate from Harata's face.

"But...perhaps Lady Tsunade might know. I could pay her a visit later." he said, hoping she would cheer up.

"No, that's okay. I'm sure she's too busy for something that miniscule. Maybe I'll run into him again sometime. Thanks though." she replied, trying to remain calm.

"Sure, no problem. But why the sudden interest in something like that?" he questioned.

Harata paused momentarily, trying to decide the best way to explain her reasons.

"I want to know how sorcery works. I'm aware it involves casting spells...but that's all I know. So I figured a sage would have a better understanding of summoning things, casting spells, and portals to other dimensions." she explained proudly, leaving Kakashi a bit lost for words.

"What kind of questionable practices do you partake in on a daily basis?" he blurted out accidentally, unable to maintain his calm demeanor at the moment.

Harata suddenly became suspiciously quiet, giving a peculiar response.

"Research purposes." she replied, obviously lying.

"Research? Fine. I'll let that one slide. Either way, that sounds like knowledge that would only be made privy to the Hoka- "

"No!! She'll think I'm doing something illegal!!" she cut him off, with a response that only worried him even more.

"Maybe I shouldn't even try asking why again...her intentions sound shady..." he thought, while giving her a look of suspicion himself.

"I'll help you. Only if whatever you're trying to do doesn't endanger the village." he agreed hesitantly.

"Thank you kind sir." she said formally, as she bowed to the bewildered shinobi.

"Sure...no problem." Kakashi answered, slightly confused by the whole encounter.

"Wait, why'd you stop by anyway? I haven't seen you or your kids in such a long time." she questioned.

"Just checking up on y- please don't refer to them as my kids." he replied, addressing her sarcastic remark as well.

"Okay. So what should I call them?" Harata asked inquisitively.

"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?" he said pointedly.

"Doing what on purpose?" she asked sarcastically, tilting her head to one side to add more dramatic effect.

"Nevermind." he replied, getting mildly annoyed. Not many, if anybody could get under his skin. But Harata seemed to have mastered it quickly.

He had definitely caught a glimpse of it over the short period of time he had been acquainted with her, but he chose to ignore it before. But now, he couldn't. He had to admit the truth.

Harata...was a bit of a troll. A damn fine one at that. He could see right through her. Though, she did amuse him. He had never encountered a woman who acted quite like she did.

She was easy to read, but even then he never knew what to expect from her. Maybe that's why they started getting along. Whatever the reason, he did enjoy her company.

"My squad has been tasked with a mission. We'll be away from the village for a couple of days this time. I figured you might like to go." he said, as she looked up from her sitting position on the bed.

"Sounds fun. I'll tag along. When are you leaving?"

"I'm going to meet up with them now." he replied casually.

"Now? Oh, okay." she said nonchalantly as a vortex of fire formed around her, instantly changing her from the robe she was sleeping in to her normal attire.

"I'm ready." she announced happily, making Kakashi stop and stare at her for a moment.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." he said as he turned to exit the way he entered.

"It's a lot easier this way." she countered as she followed him outside of the inn, and toward the designated meet up spot.

* * *

The walk was fairly short, and they reached their destination rather quickly, only to see the semi eager faces of Kakashi's students awaiting.

"Sorry I'm late everyone. I had to take a bit of a detour along the way." the ever calm, silver haired instructor said apologetically

"hey Kakashi sensei!!" Naruto greeted excitedly.

"Morning Naruto." Kakashi replied with a wave, Sasuke remaining quiet as always, and Sakura trying to refrain from yelling at Naruto undoubtedly over something minor, Harata observed.

Though this just seemed to be the group dynamic amongst the three young genin.

"Well, let's get going. It's going to take some time to get to our destination." Kakashi ordered as they all set out.


	11. Small Fish

**Kakashi's squad along with Harata, had just been dispatched on a mission that would take them a considerable amount of time to complete.**

 **It took most of the day simply to reach their destination; a seemingly quiet, small fishing village that had been having trouble for a couple of months.**

Once they entered the village, they were greeted by a gaunt, middle aged man. He looked them over with a somewhat displeased expression, and led them to a small house where the other villagers were gathered outside.

They all appeared to be more appreciative of the ninja's presence than the disapproving man who met them at the entrance.

"The village leader is with the others." the haggard looking man grumbled, pointing to the open door, as he stepped aside so they could enter; Kakashi nodded respectfully, as they all went inside.

The interior was furnished with all kinds of fishing equipment and some hunting gear.

There was an old balding man clad in a sleeveless robe, weathered pants, and straw sandals talking to a group of men.

Whatever kind of meeting they were having, appeared to be dispersing once the old man was alerted to team seven's presence.

The men who had gathered began to file out, with curious stares once they noticed Kakashi and his students.

Some of them were muttering to one another, but it was unintelligible from where Harata stood.

"Ah, you must be from the Leaf village. Thank you for coming." the village elder said in a gruff voice.

The old man's gaze seemed to shift to Harata, and settle apprehensively.

"I was told it would be a four man unit. Who is she?" he asked Kakashi, as his brow furrowed.

"Oh, she's been ordered to shadow me. She's in training." Kakashi answered without missing a beat.

The old man still seemed skeptical that Harata would be of any use, catching Kakashi's attention.

"I assure you, she won't be a problem." he continued, reassuring the old man's suspicions.

"If you say so..." the old man finally relented, then continued.

"I am the leader of this village. You can just call me chief. No need for names...Now then, I suppose I should give you the finer details of your purpose for being here." the chief began as he pulled out a pipe and lit it.

"My people first started having problems when our men would go out to hunt and fish about three months ago. They would be attacked, and anything they caught would be stolen. Then, a month ago our village started getting plundered.

We tried fending them off ourselves, but we're fishermen not fighters, so you can imagine how that went." the chief paused a moment as he took a puff of his pipe; then with a hesitant sigh, continued.

"Now we've been cut off from doing either. If this keeps up, we won't be able to feed our families. They've completely overrun our fishing holes and hunting grounds. We don't have much to begin with. And this is our livelihood. Although we can't afford it, we had to seek outside help.

If we can't rid ourselves of these bandits, we'll all starve to death. So, in short...that's the job." the chief finished, as curious children peeked inside the windows to catch a glimpse of the mysterious visitors.

Harata waved at the inquisitive little faces now covering the outside of the window, as they all dispersed.

"I understand. Don't worry, we'll handle it. When do they usually strike?" Kakashi replied calmly.

"The second week of every month." the chief answered, taking another long drag off his aged looking cedar pipe.

"Then...sometime this week?" Sakura inquired intently.

"Precisely. We already have lodging set up for you all. My son-in-law will show you to our guest house. It might not be what you're used to, but it'll have to do." the chief explained.

"But if you should require anything, please feel more than free to ask. I'll do my best to accommodate you and your team." the elderly man finally finished, as the same stone faced man who greeted them, stepped forward.

"This way." was all the middle aged man said as he somberly turned to walk back outside.

But before they followed him outside, Kakashi graciously thanked the chief, as did his students and Harata.

* * *

Once outside, they followed the chief's son-in-law to a modest sized hut made of brick. There were four beds inside and some old fishing hooks.

"Excuse the mess. But this is all we have." the son-in-law said apologetically.

"No, that's alright. We appreciate you providing us with a place to sleep." Kakashi replied, as they all stepped inside.

"I shall leave you to get settled then." the man said sternly as he walked away.

"waaait a minute...if there's only four beds, and five of us..." Naruto began to point out.

"Four beds for the four of you. What's the problem?" Harata spoke up.

"Where are you going to sleep then?" Sakura asked in a concerned tone.

"Don't worry about me, I can sleep wherever." Harata reassured.

"But, why not just sleep in the same bed as me? We're both girls. So it's okay right?" Sakura tried again.

"That's okay, seriously. I'm good." Harata reiterated.

"Are you sure you don't want the fourth bed?" Kakashi joined in too.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm kind of a night owl anyway." Harata replied as she excused herself, and went outside so they could unpack.

* * *

Upon stepping out of the small hut, Harata saw the kids from earlier spying on them again from behind the chief's dwelling, and attempted to say hi again.

They waved back this time, and ran off only when a hefty looking woman with a scarf tied over her hair stepped in front of them.

"Now I told you all to stop bothering them!" she scolded as the children ran away. Harata watched as the tired older woman hobbled up to her.

"I'm sorry about that. Those children of mine are just so nosy!" she apologized, as she put her hands on her hips.

"Curious little ones aren't they?" Harata chuckled, giving the woman a warm smile.

Returning Harata's kindness with an endearing smile, the middle-aged woman nodded in agreement at Harata, just as Kakashi poked his head out, followed by Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

"Oh, hello there. You must be the ones my father hired. It's a pleasure to meet you all! Heavens!! You three are just babies!" she said, surprised to see that Kakashi was the only adult besides Harata.

"Hello. I'm Kakashi Hatake, and these three are my students. That's Naruto, this one here is Sasuke, and she's Sakura. It's a pleasure." Kakashi greeted kindly, as he stepped outside and stood beside Harata.

"My, you certainly start young. But I suppose that's the best way to learn. Ah- where are my manners! I'm the village chief's daughter, Isami. You probably already met my husband. He's the mean looking one over there." Isami said pointing to the chief's son-in-law.

"Yes, we have met. A very respectable man." Kakashi replied.

"hey, don't worry miss! We'll teach those jerks a lesson they won't forget!!" Naruto boasted, as Sakura agreed with a confident head nod.

"Well I certainly hope so. But please be careful, they're dreadful men who only care about themselves." Isami warned.

"just watch!! They'll never hurt anyone from this village again! I swear it!" Naruto promised, as Sasuke nodded in agreement this time.

Isami could only smile with admiration at the passionate young genin.

"You young ones are the future of this land." she said, giving Naruto a pat on the head.

Naruto's enthusiasm making Harata crack a smile as well, as Isami addressed the disciplined warrior.

"Are you going to fight too sweetie?" Isami asked suddenly shifting her gaze to Harata.

"Uh, well- " Harata started, but was intercepted by Kakashi.

"Yes. She's here for backup support." Kakashi intervened.

Surprised by Kakashi's swift answer, Harata gave him a look of disbelief.

"Oh, yeah...right..." Harata replied in a half hearted manner.

"Such a blessing. We could barely afford the cost of you four, let alone five." Isami said in response, happily wiping a tear away.

The sight of Isami shedding a tear of joy, wrenched at Harata's heart.

She didn't know any of these people, but she couldn't bring herself to not feel sorry for their predicament.

"You have my word, we'll protect you all. Your people won't have to live in fear anymore." Harata promised, as she walked over and gave Isami a hug.

"Thank you dear. You're such a sweet girl. Your parents must be so proud of you." Isami said through her tears.

"I greatly appreciate your kind words ma'am." Harata replied with a gentle smile.

"Oh goodness me, I'm getting so emotional. How unbecoming of a lady." Isami said jokingly, making Harata laugh a little.

"Well, I should leave you all to your vices. Should you ever want a nice home cooked meal, just come visit us. I live with my father." Isami called back as she turned to head back to the chief's house.

"what a nice lady!! Now I'm super pumped to take out these losers!!" Naruto rallied.

"Yeah me too!! These people deserve to be happy!" Sakura joined in, bringing an even bigger smile to Isami's face.

"Well, I thank you all sincerely. On behalf of everyone in the village." the warm hearted woman proclaimed with conviction.

"Our pleasure." Kakashi spoke up again, as Naruto's stomach rumbled loudly; causing everyone to stare in his direction.

"w-what? I'm sorry!! It's been waaay too long since I last had some grub!!" Naruto countered, scratching the back of his head nervously.

Isami merely smiled once more, and patted Naruto on his head gently.

"That's quite alright young man. If I had dinner cooking right now, I'd invite you all over, but..." Isami trailed off, slightly saddened.

"Is there a market nearby?" Harata suddenly asked, piquing Isami's interest.

"Why yes, there is, but they don't have much stock right now. It's in the middle of town. About a stone's throw from here." the baffled mother of four replied.

"Good enough. I'll buy something there, and just cook something for them all tonight." Harata replied with a sweet smile.

"Oh heavens, she can cook as well? You'll make some nice young man very happy someday little lady." Isami replied with a cheeky grin, causing Harata to get extremely flustered.

"I...well...I just thought...that I could-- " Harata started, but was cut off by Isami chuckling softly.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just a hopeless romantic." Isami replied coyly, slightly red in the face.

"Oh, no...it's okay. I just...I think I'll head into town and buy something for us to eat now." an embarrassed Harata replied, stepping away quickly; Kakashi nodding respectfully, and following after Harata.

"Pleasure meeting you." Kakashi said with a friendly smile, Isami giving a warm smile in return as they all walked off toward the village market district.

* * *

 **After Harata bought some fish and rice at the village market, the group of five made their way back to the temporary housing, set up for them, as Harata began cooking the food for all four of them.**

Once she had finished making dinner, she dished out everyone's portions, but left Kakashi's on the wooden stove inside, going outside to check on Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura as they ate.

However, she noticed Kakashi sitting in a nearby tree reading his trademark novel, and sighed before walking over toward him.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" she called up to him as he kept vigil outside.

"Hmm? Oh, I'll eat later." he simply replied, his eyes never looking up from his book.

Now that she thought about it...she never saw him eat or drink anything before. In fact, he never removed his mask. She hadn't noticed it until now, but now that she did, she was curious.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" she called out to him with a determined look on her face.

"Sure, ask away." he replied nonchalantly.

She hesitated for a minute, unsure of how to compose her question, but eventually chose the direct approach.

"How do you eat and drink with that mask on?" she blurted out, blinking innocently up at him.

Her inquiry appeared to catch him off guard, though it didn't show in his reaction. He merely looked at her with a serious expression, and gave the most obvious response.

"I take it off of course. I just don't like eating and drinking in front of people." he said as his expression suddenly changed to a carefree one, making Harata instantly give him a death glare.

"You think you're real funny huh?" she sneered.

He responded by putting his hand to his mouth as if trying to keep from laughing.

"Ya know what...I'm just gonna throw stuff at you from now on." she said so matter-of-factly.

"Goodness, you're a violent person." he said sarcastically, which at this point, she was on the verge of hitting him with the leftover fish, but resisted the urge.

"Smartass." she said jokingly, but half serious.

"Why thank you, I try." he replied with an innocent smile.

"I swear...you're such a damn troll." she retorted as he went silent.

"What? No ingenious comeback?" she challenged, a little surprised by the lack of a witty response from him.

"That's funny, that's exactly what I thought about you this morning." he said so sincerely that she knew he was being serious. She found it funny too, but kept that to herself.

"Sorry if that offended you." Kakashi said suddenly, completely throwing her off.

"Huh? No, it takes a lot more than that to offend me." she replied cheerfully, with a mischievous grin.

"Good." was all he said before going silent again.

Confused by his sudden change in mood, she hopped up on the branch he was sitting on, and poked him in the cheek with her finger.

He turned to look at her with her finger still pressed against his face.

"Yes?" he asked casually.

"Nothing. Just seeing if you're still alive. You went quiet without any warning."

"I assure you, I'm still breathing." he replied with a listless look on his face.

"You sure bout that? You look like the living dead right now." Harata observed, as she stooped next to Kakashi with her hand supporting her face.

"Well that was uncalled for." he said as if he was actually saddened by her comment.

"Aww, I'm sorry. You look adorable. That better?" she said, stifling a laugh.

"Thank you. Do you think I wake up looking this beautiful? It takes hours for me to get ready in the morning. Especially to style my hair just right--" he broke off when Harata started laughing.

"I'm being serious." he said amidst her laughter.

"Okay, I get it! You're fine!!" she said through tears from laughing so hard.

"You should be a comedian...if you ever decide to retire from teaching." she said jokingly.

"A comedian? Interesting, but I'm not really all that good with crowds." he replied inquisitively.

"But what about you?" he suddenly asked, flipping the script on Harata.

"Wha-what about me?" she mirrored back.

"Is there anything you enjoy doing besides fighting. There's more to life than just combat." he lectured.

"Heh, not for me. Combats' all I'm good for." she answered instantly, her response seeming to make him even more curious than before.

"Why do you think that?" he asked solemnly.

"Because it's the truth. I'm not the strongest, but there's nothing else I'm useful for. That's just how I measure my worth." she replied honestly.

Kakashi once again went silent for a moment before speaking.

"That's a shame...because I think you're worth much more than that." he said casually as the evening air blew calmly.

Speechless, Harata could only stare at him in shock. So many emotions were swirling around inside of her all at once. She felt like her head was going to explode from confusion and frustration.

There was a familiar feeling washing over her, but she didn't understand it, and felt like what she was experiencing was also dangerous.

"Oh sorry, I spoke before thinking. I didn't mean to upset you. People are worth more than their abilities in my opinion." he said apologetically.

Feeling slightly relieved for an unknown reason, she let out a long sigh.

"Thank you." she said finally, proud of herself for brushing that nagging feeling aside.

"Sure. Oh, and at least sleep inside. It'd really ease my conscience." he tried again.

Not wanting to cause any unnecessary trouble, she eventually relented and went in the guest house with the others, laying down on the bed designated for Kakashi.

 _It would ease his conscience, huh?_ Harata thought to herself, as she laid on her back, hands resting comfortably behind her head.

"He's a...very kind man. I'll have to return this kindness one day." she continued to think, letting her mind wander until she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.


	12. Hard Work

**After Isami graciously invited team seven over to have breakfast, Kakashi announced to his students that they would be doing a side** **mission for the remainder of the day.**

"As I said before, we're going to be helping out around the village. This includes aiding in any repairs that need to be done." Kakashi explained in greater detail.

As the enigmatic shinobi briefed his squad, Isami's husband stood behind him shouting orders to the other men in the village as they worked.

Finding out that they would be helping with carpentry and repairs, Harata eagerly agreed to aid the men in order to satisfy her love of building and fixing things.

As Kakashi's team helped with smaller repairs, Harata helped the men tackle the bigger jobs. They all worked until late noon, when everyone broke for lunch.

Ever reliable, Isami greeted everyone, along with some of the other women in the village, bringing a mid-day snack and tea.

"Oooo lunch!!! Thanks miss!!! Man, my stomach was growling already too!!" Naruto shouted excitedly as he ate heartily.

"You're welcome, it's the least we can do to show our appreciation. You're all out here working so hard." Isami said with a gentle smile.

"We certainly did work up an appetite." Sakura chimed in between bites.

"Yes, you most certainly have." Isami agreed, as she turned to Kakashi.

"I'm also quite surprised at how skillful that young lady is. She's well versed in cooking and carpentry. I've never come across a woman who could do both so effortlessly." Isami said to Kakashi.

"I'm fairly surprised myself." he agreed as he observed Harata continue working by herself, taking orders from Isami's husband.

"That girl is very disciplined and dedicated to her craft." Isami complimented.

"Yes, she does appear to take pride in her work." Kakashi agreed once more, his attention focused to keeping an eye on his student's progress.

"man, that little lady is a machine! With this much help, we'll be finished with all the repairs by tomorrow!" one of the men said excitedly, catching Kakashi's attention.

"She's rather pretty too. If I was twenty years younger, I'd make her my wife."

"with your ugly mug? A gal that beautiful would run away screaming!!"

"there's no way a woman that good doesn't have a man already."

"think she's with that silver haired guy?"

"no, she's just a friend of his or something. The chief told us."

"well, I might propose to her before she gets stolen away!"

"she'd turn you both down. Takes a special kind of man to deserve a woman that good."

Some of the younger, and older men talked amongst themselves as they ate, making Kakashi turn his full attention to them momentarily.

He couldn't place why, but for some reason their banter bothered him slightly.

"I think I'll go help her out." he said casually as he got to his feet and scaled the wall to where Harata was working.

"How's it going?" he asked, causing Harata to stop hammering. She lifted up the goggles she had on to see Kakashi stooping down next to where she knelt.

"I'm almost finished with this side of the roof." she replied, adjusting her hard hat.

"I see. Well looks like you've got a couple admirers down there." Kakashi warned, as he pointed over his left shoulder with his thumb to the workers down below.

Harata looked to where he was pointing.

"Huh? Dunno why..." she said, genuinely confused.

"Don't be surprised if you get a marriage proposal from one of them. They seem pretty impressed by a woman who's able to keep up with men." he countered.

"I'm flattered, but marriage isn't my thing. Besides, my heart already belongs to someone else." she admitted as she pulled her goggles back down.

"Oh?" he asked, interested in her response.

"My baby..." she replied, pulling her goggles back up and staring Kakashi in the eye now.

"...baby...??? Y-You have a child?" he asked, in shock.

"Yes, he's 3 years old." she answered without missing a beat.

"I can't believe you're a mother...how old are you?!" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm twenty." Harata replied with an innocent, oblivious stare.

"You're only twenty, and you have a three year old child?" he asked again, still in shock.

"Oh, guess I should've specified. He's a space chicken. His name is Freddy." she Harata explained with a blank look on her face.

Kakashi's voice suddenly fell flat as he gave Harata the dirtiest look he could muster at the moment.

"What...in the world is a space chicken?" he asked, instantly regretting his decision to inquire further.

"A chicken born in space obviously." she replied with a big oblivious smile.

"You're screwing with me, aren't you?" he asked in an annoyed tone, refusing to accept her answer.

"Huh? No!! I'm being serious!! Freddy is a space chicken!! He doesn't age like a chicken from Earth does!!" Harata argued so persuasively, Kakashi had no choice but to take her words as the truth.

"Freddy is my baby. I've had him since I was a little kid." she added on.

"Okay...say I were to believe this ridiculous amount of absurdity, where does a _space chicken_ come from?" Kakashi inquired.

"My older cousin Jake gave him to me when I was five years old. He's been my baby ever since." she said with an angelic glow surrounding her.

"Okay, where'd your cousin get it from?" Kakashi tried, hoping to get at least one rational answer out of the conversation.

"I can't tell you that. That's privileged information that only Jake knows." she responded instantly, with a blank, innocently oblivious expression.

"Why did I even bother?" Kakashi said with a sigh, massaging his growing headache from trying to understand anything Harata was saying.

"He's such a little cutiepie!!!" Harata gushed as her mind wandered off into a fantasy world.

"You are a very strange person." he said aloud as she continued to space out.

"But, you do amuse me." he said as he stood up, "by the way. Where'd you get the goggles and hat from?" he continued.

She snapped out of her fantasy instantly and became serious all of the sudden.

"Don't worry about that." she said suspiciously.

Kakashi's face remained blank with utter defeat.

"Like I said before, you're a strange but interesting person." he reiterated as he walked over to the other side of the roof.

"Take a break. I'll finish up." he called back to her, as she watched him walk away.

She hadn't even realized it at the time, but her heart was racing. Subconsciously, those words he said before he walked off...had indeed left a huge impression on her.

Once again she noticed that nagging, yet dangerous feeling resurface, but she quickly suppressed it as she hopped down from the roof of the damaged building to have some lunch with the others.

 _What was that just now?_

Harata thought to herself as she ate one of the sandwiches the village women made.

 _Whatever it was. It was strange..._

Her mind continued to wander, as her eyes unknowingly shifted to Kakashi, as he was worked on the roof by himself.

 _Wonder why he was so interested in talking. He's usually just quiet, unless he has to speak. Maybe I'm just reading too much into things. Wait...why am I...?!!! Just look away Harata...look away and finish eating..._

After lunch, the men and team seven resumed working late into the evening, until Isami's husband ordered his men to stop for the day.

"We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow! It's too dark to continue today!" he called out to everyone.

"ahh, finally!! I'm beat!!" Naruto said working his arm back and forth. Isami's husband stopped off at the smaller work site where Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were cutting pieces of wood and stacking them in various piles.

"You three, good job today." he said in a gruff voice, as he walked off.

"You mean that guy doesn't hate us?" Sasuke asked no one in particular.

"I was convinced he didn't like us also." Sakura agreed.

"nah, with guys like that you just get on their good side. That's the trick!!" Naruto joined in, grinning widely.

"Like you would actually know." Sasuke shot at Naruto.

"what? Jealous cause I know more than you? It's okay, I'll teach you Sasuke. Cause I'm a nice guy." Naruto countered.

"No thanks, I don't care to learn how to be stupid like you." Sasuke replied coldly.

"say that again!! I dare you!!" Naruto shouted, as they both literally butted heads; until Kakashi pulled them apart.

"Alright, settle down. I'll be sure to give you two more work tomorrow to burn off all that excess energy." Kakashi chastised, as the two rowdy boys glared at each other.

Sakura remain silent, observing Harata interacting with the other men.

"She's pretty popular with the guys." she mumbled to herself, hoping nobody heard her, as she stole a glance at Sasuke.

"I wonder if he'd like me if I looked like that-- no!! Sasuke isn't superficial like that!!" she rallied herself mentally, as Harata finally joined them; followed by her newly gained entourage.

"You sure are a tough little lady." a middle aged, bald man said to her.

"yeah!! She's a spunky one!!" another chimed in, as they gathered around Harata.

"Ah haha, thanks!! I build and repair a lot of different things with my dad, so I'm used to this kind of stuff." she said modestly.

"You're every man's dream woman!! Marry me, I'll treat you right!!" one of the younger men said half joking.

"Sorry, my heart belongs to the battlefield." Harata said proudly, as Sakura felt even more jealous.

"I told you you're not her type!!" one of the older men shot at the young man, as the whole lot of them laughed heartily.

"Sorry guys, but we have to check in with the chief." Kakashi intervened, guiding Harata away with his right hand on her back; and herding Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura away with his left hand.

Harata waved goodbye to them all, as they returned the friendly gesture.

"Good grief, they're quite _fond_ of you." Kakashi said to Harata once they were far enough away.

"They're really funny guys!! I think we got along pretty well!!" Harata said oblivious to what he meant.

Kakashi and Sakura just stared at her in amazement, wondering how she could be that clueless.

"She's joking, right?!" they both thought at the same time as Harata laughed without reservation.

"Well, at any rate, you all get a passing grade for today. Let's hope tomorrow goes just as well, okay?" Kakashi announced, as the three young shinobi reveled in their small victory.

Just then the chief appeared, and seemed to be looking for someone, but upon spotting Kakashi and his squad, walked over to them; Isami following close behind him.

"Thank you for all your hard work today. We are truly grateful." the chief spoke up finally.

"Of course, glad to be of service." Kakashi replied.

"As a show of my thanks, I would like to humbly invite you all to have dinner with us." the chief proposed.

"Oh? Now how could we turn down such a gracious offer? Thank you for your hospitality." Kakashi replied, ever the diplomatic one.

"Good to hear. Isami, please prepare some extra places for dinner." the chief asked of his daughter.

"I'd be more than happy to." Isami obliged, then paused as if pondering over something important.

"You'll probably want a nice bath, no? Well we have a bathhouse in the back that you all can use. I can show you to it after dinner." Isami added.

"Thank you, we'd appreciate that." Kakashi said in response.

"It'll take about an hour to make dinner...though I wouldn't mind some help." Isami hinted, looking in Harata's direction.

"Oh, sure I don't mind. Least I can do." Harata agreed.

"Better yet, why don't all of you just come as well. You can wait there until dinner is done." Isami suggested.

"We wouldn't want to impose." Kakashi said cautiously.

"Nonsense!! Now come along, the lot of you!" Isami said in her motherly tone.

"Ah-- yes ma'am..." Kakashi complied as they all followed the chief and Isami back to their house.

Once they entered the chief's house, Isami directed Harata to the bathroom so she could wash her face and hands.

"Here's a fresh towel to dry your face and hands with. I'll be in the kitchen when you're finished." Isami said as stepped out of the way.

"Thank you Isami san." Harata said graciously as she proceeded to start cleaning off.

Meanwhile Isami's father was chatting up his son-in-law, Kakashi, and team seven as they all sat in the small living room.

Isami stopped in the living room briefly and smiled at the sight of everyone enjoying themselves before disappearing into the kitchen.

Moments later, Harata came out and went to help Isami.

With the two of them in the kitchen, dinner was prepared rather quickly.

"We make a very good team, if I do say so myself." Isami said as she threw a towel over her shoulder, and smiled warmly at Harata.

"I learned from the best. my mother." Harata replied with a cheeky grin.

"I'd love to meet the mother of such a respectable young lady. She's done an excellent job of raising you." Isami continued, making Harata smile happily to herself.

"That really means a lot to hear. I'll give her your regards Isami san." Harata responded with a soft smile.

"Of course dear." Isami said as she called her three children in to eat while Harata set extra places at the table.

Upon finishing their meals, Kakashi spoke with the chief a little more, before they all took turns getting a bath.

Harata and Sakura bathed first.

Naruto and Sasuke going separately due to not wanting to bathe with each other, and Kakashi opted to go last.

Feeling better from bathing the sweat of the day's work away, they all spoke and relaxed for a bit longer, before Kakashi ushered his squad and Harata back to the guest house for the night.

Making sure to thank the chief and Isami again for their hospitality, Kakashi and his students, along with Harata eventually retired for the evening.


	13. Hospitality

It wasn't long before dawn approached, especially considering that Harata had spent the night up on the roof. Though after what happened last night, it was quite difficult for her not to be restless.

The young warrior once again found herself watching the sunrise alone. She knew the situation she now found herself in was complicated, but she was starting to long for her family, friends, and home.

She gazed somberly at the beautiful orange-red colors enveloping the sky, which only seemed to make her feel worse.

She would return home someday wouldn't she?

She grasped the precious reminder of where she truly belonged, that dangled from her neck as she sat in silence.

This feeling of longing to see her loved ones again was an all too familiar sensation, which she thought she had buried all those years ago. But now, it was resurfacing with a vengeance.

"It won't do me any good to keep dwelling on what can't be changed." she said to herself as she stood up, immediately met by the loud sound of an explosion that seemed to come from inside the village.

"What the hell?!" she shouted as she jumped down off the building, everyone else running out of their homes as well.

She saw Isami, the chief, and Isami's husband outside already, as Kakashi and his squad came out.

"Damn! They've finally come!! Isami! Round all the women and children into our home and keep the doors bolted shut!!" the chief yelled, as Isami started to run off.

"Wait! Isami san! I'll go with you, it'll be dangerous!" Harata called after her as she stopped and turned around.

"Thank you!! Come now, we must hurry!!" she replied in agreement, as the two took off together. The chief looked to his son-in-law, who nodded in silence as he went to round up all the men who were able to fight.

Kakashi seeing where the explosion had come from due to the billowing smoke, began relegating orders to his squads as well.

"Sakura, stay here in the village. Anyone who gets injured will need medical attention. Naruto, Sasuke, you'll be with me." he finished, both the boys nodding in agreement.

The chief, catching sight of Kakashi hurried over to the silver haired jonin, as fast as his old legs could carry him.

"We'll stick to the plan we discussed to avoid any unnecessary casualties." the chief said calmly to Kakashi, who nodded in return and turned to head off with Naruto and Sasuke outside of the village to the fishing and hunting grounds.

Moments later, Isami's husband returned with all the village's able bodied men, spears in hand.

"Chief, please stay with Isami and the others." Isami's husband pleaded.

The chief shot his son-in-law a look of surprise.

"Shoichi, I can't stand by...and possibly lose another son. I won't!! They will feel our pain and sorrow. We shall bring the wrath of the innocent lives they have taken down upon them!!" the chief rallied, the village men shouting a war cry in unison.

Shoichi, the chief's son-in-law could only watch in admiration, and hope to continue to live up to his leader's expectations.

"Yes father, I understand your grief...but please, exercise caution." The gruff, weathered old man nodded, as Shoichi handed the chief his late son and Isami's older brother's hunting spear, to ready themselves for the defense of their home.

"We leave as soon as the women and children are all safe!!" the chief commanded as all the men nodded in agreement.

He then turned to Sakura with a stern expression on his face.

"Leaf village shinobi, I am trusting that you and that young woman who left with Isami will keep our families safe while we are away. Please protect them as if they were your own."

Sakura looked up with an air of confidence and honor that she was tasked with something so important.

"You have my word sir." she replied firmly, just as a brilliant vortex of fire appeared before everyone, startling them all.

"Wha--?!" the chief hollered as Shoichi and all the men steeled themselves for an attack. But once the vortex cleared, Harata stood there along with Isami, and the other women and children of the village.

Needless to say she was quite surprised to find spears pointed at them, but after realizing their mistake, the men lowered their guard.

"It's just you." the chief spoke up as Isami ushered the women and children inside their fortified bunker of a house.

"Thank you for keeping my daughter safe." the chief said with gratitude.

"It's my pleasure. Y'all have been nothin but kind to us. And I promised Isami san that we'd keep you all safe. I intend to keep that promise at any cost." Harata replied with conviction and a deep bow.

Seeing Harata's dedication to Isami, the chief nodded in approval.

"You're different. You have the heart of a fierce warrior, but the soul of a saint. You remind me of my late son in that respect. Fortune be with you young lady." he finished with a firm pat on her shoulder, as they all set off to their positions.

Harata and Sakura watched the men march away, until they were no longer visible.

"Everyone's inside now. Why don't you both come in with us?" Isami suggested.

Harata looked to Isami, and then to Sakura.

"I'll stay outside on guard. You can go inside with them. It'll be better if someone's patrolling out here as well." she explained.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get hurt." Isami tried again.

"If I go inside, and come out when they arrive, they'll know where you all are. This way, lives won't be needlessly put in danger." Harata explained further, hoping Isami would understand.

"I see. I suppose you're right then. Alright, I'm going to go comfort the other women then. You be careful." Isami warned as she and Sakura went inside and bolted up the doors, Harata giving a firm nod of compliance in return.

Now it was a waiting game. She had participated in plenty of defensive battles before, and this time was no different.

Protect the villagers at all costs.

Although, she hadn't thought of how she might go about dispatching any opponent she may come up against. She knew Kakashi wasn't too keen on taking people's lives, and she didn't want to expose such a peaceful town to the horrors of war either.

However she didn't have long to think it over, as the familiar sound of gunpowder exploding came from the entrance of the village this time.

Breaking off from her thoughts, she became alert and readied herself to engage anyone who came her way, though she saw no one in sight.

Keeping her guard up, she scanned the immediate area for any sign of movement, even a leaf blowing in the wind. She had no idea what kind of skills or tactics the enemy might deploy, but she had confidence that the guys would be fine.

She was more worried about the women and children who couldn't defend themselves. That was her and Sakura's main focus.

Then all at once, she felt someone grab her neck from behind, and hold what appeared to be a dagger to her throat.

"Move and you're dead." came a deep, raspy voice from behind her.

"Now, let's make this easy. Where are your friends hiding?" the man growled in a threatening tone.

"Friends? Not sure what you mean. You'll have to be more specific." she countered sarcastically.

"Oh? More specific? How specific is slitting your throat, and leaving you to bleed out? That specific enough for you kid?" he shot back, pressing the knife deeper to her throat.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just passing through here." Harata said hesitantly, attempting to give the strange man a false sense of security.

"Passing through huh? Well, I'm just passing through too. Though, I'm a little low on funds. Gonna need some spare change." her aggressor hissed back at her with just as much sarcasm as she had given him.

"Apologies...but I can't comply with that request..." Harata replied coldly, before vanishing into flames and reappearing in front of him.

"How bout we try this again? Go ahead, I'll wait." she said with her arms folded, watching the look of surprise on the masked man's face.

"Oh...this just got interesting." was all the man said as he pulled out a small bamboo flute and blew on it.

Whatever noise it made, she couldn't hear it, but suddenly more masked men seemed to materialize from beyond the trees, and the ground. It looked to be well over forty others who appeared out of nowhere.

She could only pray that no one inside the house made any sudden movements or noise at this point.

"Guess the poor fishermen acquired some new allies. Well any rate, we came here for a good reason, so get out of the way little girl." the guy who seemed to be the leader snapped, as he remain unfazed.

"I don't give a damn what you came here for." Harata shot back, as she summoned her dual sabers to her hands in a swirl of flames.

"Okay, you won't move voluntarily...guess I'll have to make you move." he sneered, throwing a plethora of knives at her all at once, as she quickly put up her guard, and deflected the incoming assault with ease.

"Gonna have to do a lot better than that if you wanna kill me." she warned, as the leader disappeared in a cloud of smoke and reappeared on her left side, throwing more knives, and making signs with his hands that were too fast for her to see.

She jumped back from the intended strike zone, and landed a couple feet backwards. Readying herself for the next attack.

Inside, Sakura could hear what was going on outside the house, but didn't want to risk exposing everyone else by going out to try to help.

Besides, she had to keep everyone inside safe from the danger outside too. This was her mission.

She had to follow orders, no matter how much she wanted to help Harata.

She knew her role as part of team seven, and she had to do it well. Still, she worried about her teammates and teacher. Though she knew they were strong, and that's why they were out there fighting, and she wasn't.

You guys better be okay...

Sakura shouted in her head, trying to remain calm and strong for everyone else's sake.

Outside of the village on the hunting grounds, the battle grew even fiercer. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke were putting up a strong offense, but there seemed to be no end to the hordes of enemy ninja.

Naruto had deployed his shadow clone jutsu to help even the odds, but soon even that wasn't enough.

"man, where are all these guys comin from?!" he shouted a little frustrated.

"Just stay focused!" Kakashi called out to his students in a slightly serious tone as he too fought off the unending stream of enemies.

Something was wrong. Very off...though what it was, he couldn't put his finger on it exactly.

They aren't particularly skilled shinobi, it's just the number of them that's the real problem. But even for a brigade of rogue ninja, this is a bit much. Almost like an entire village decided to rebel.

Kakashi continued to mull this over in his head as he made contact with another shinobi and cut him with his kunai, noticing something odd in the process...

...the ninja he cut...wasn't bleeding...

Hmm...strange. Armor perhaps?

Kakashi thought to himself in shock, dodging another one who was quite intent on impaling him in the chest.

No, something's wrong. There aren't more coming...the ones that were already taken out keep coming at us again. What is this? Some sort of Genjutsu?

he continued thinking, nimbly evading failed attempts to wound him.

Naruto and Sasuke seemed to eventually catch on to the strange nature of the battle, and regrouped with Kakashi.

"They're-- not dying. No matter how many times we cut them down." Sasuke observed; he and Naruto back to back.

"yeah, I noticed. Thought I was going crazy before. Hey Kakashi sensei!! What's up with these guys? They're not croaking yet!!" Naruto called out to their teacher, who remained silent, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

Then it dawned on Kakashi as he remembered all the explosions earlier.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't noticed any damage to the woods consistent with any type of fire damage.

It was all starting to make sense now...

It was just a smoke bomb...

All three of them had inadvertently inhaled a hallucinogenic gas that made them think they were fighting off more men than they actually were...

It was as if they had anticipated that we would be here.

Which meant...that they were wasting their time with a distraction.

They planned this all along. But how did they know?

His thoughts were quickly interrupted by Naruto calling out to him again.

Naruto! Sasuke! This is all just a hallucination. We need to leave...now!!" Kakashi ordered as he dropped his guard.

"What?!" both the boys shouted in unison.

"If this is all fake...then where's the enemy?" Sasuke questioned.

"oh no...the village..." Naruto said with the horrific realization of what had actually happened.

"Kakashi sensei-- "

"I know. Let's go." Kakashi replied calmly, as they all took off back toward the village. His mind on making sure everyone came out of this altercation alive.

Back at the village, Harata continued to single handedly fend off the invaders, but wondered how long she could keep it up without ending it permanently.

She had managed to evade most of their attacks so far, but had gotten injured by the head shinobi.

Seeing that his men were making no headway with fighting her, he ordered them to halt by holding up his hand.

"I've had enough, all of you start looking for whatever you can grab, and take it. I'll deal with this myself." he ordered.

The rogue ninja were about to disperse, when Harata quickly summoned a wave of flames that knocked all of them back, rendering them unconscious.

Caught off guard by this, the leader looked around at his incapacitated men in shock. He then turned back to Harata with a sinister smirk, his inability to end this raid quickly evident from the frustration spewing from his eyes.

"Pretty impressive. Let's see you try that on me." he boasted as he came at her himself, both of them now facing off against each other.

They both carried on, until she noticed her vision going slightly blurry, and her body growing heavy. Her head began to sway as they both deadlocked, and she stumbled a little.

It was at this moment that she started to realize how fatigued she felt, something she rarely ever experienced.

The hell's goin on? I feel like I'm about to collapse...

she wondered, the confusion evident on her face.

"Heh, I was hoping it would kick in soon. I'll give you this, you have a pretty strong tolerance for anybody that's ever come into contact with this stuff. It's really potent, yet you're still on your feet. Well, no matter...I'll fix that." he mocked as he threw a single kunai at her.

She brought up her swords as fast as she could, but was struggling. Her arms were starting to feel too weak to even lift her weapons.

After using every fiber of her being to block the kunai, her arms fell limp to her side, and she started to have trouble standing. Her legs felt like they were about to buckle, and her vision was getting worse.

The rebel leader started laughing maniacally as he clasped three more kunai between his fingers, and hurled them at her.

She tried with all her might to move her arms, but her body would barely respond anymore.

damn, well this might hurt a little...

she thought as she closed her eyes and prepared to be impaled by the crazed man.

But strangely enough, she didn't feel a thing.

Confused, she opened her eyes to see Kakashi standing in front of her, facing the rogue ninja, along with Naruto and Sasuke.

Hatake san?! Damn good timing...

she thought to herself, collapsing down onto one knee to steady herself.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi called out to Harata over his shoulder.

She managed to lift her arm up just enough to give him a thumbs up, then let it drop back to her side.

"Was he too much for you?" Kakashi half joked, until he noticed the wound on the right side of her abdomen.

"Just stay there, I'll help you once we're finished." he said as he disappeared instantly in a shroud of smoke and leaves.

She nodded in compliance, and forced her head up so she could spectate the rest of the battle; her eyes growing wide with amazement as she saw Kakashi's right hand become engulfed in lightning that almost seemed to form a blade.

What the...?! What is that?!

Harata shouted in her head, trying to fathom what she was witnessing.

The two shinobi going head to head until Kakashi gained the upper hand and opportunity to strike.

Intently driving his hand through the rogue ninja's chest, Kakashi twisted his hand to ensure death; the bewildered rebel's eyes now focused on the visible hole in his body.

He then looked into Kakashi's eyes with an expression of utter hatred as Kakashi removed his hand, and let the defeated shinobi sink to his knees, fall over, and die.

Kakashi then turned his attention back to Harata, as she struggled to get back to her feet.

"hey, you okay?" Naruto called out to her, seeing how tired she looked.

"Yeah, I'm good. You guys alright?" she answered, attempting to stand again in vain, as her legs gave out and made her fall.

"You don't look good to me."

Kakashi chastised, quickly catching her in his arms.

"I told you to stay there and wait for me." he scolded once more, holding her up.

"I'm fine, really..." she lied, her whole body feeling weak.

"Alright, then stand and walk on your own." he challenged, letting go of her.

"Fine." she said confidently, her legs instantly giving out again, as Kakashi caught her.

"Sure. You're absolutely fine. Guess I've got no choice..." he said sarcastically with a sigh, as he scooped up her legs and held her in his arms.

"Oh, and don't fuss about this either, or I'll drop you in a lake." Kakashi warned, halting any attempts at an objection by her.

"...fine...thank you." she muttered, accepting her plight and his help.

"Where are the rest of the villagers?" Sasuke asked, as they headed toward the chief's lodging.

"Oh, right. They're all inside with Isami san. Your teammate is with them. I asked her to stay with them, while I dealt with the enemy." she finished.

"I see." Sasuke replied, shifting his gaze to Harata's wound.

"Does it hurt much?" he asked, which was more than she ever heard him say to her before.

"Nah, not really. Just a scratch." she answered with a cheeky grin, as Sasuke went silent again.

"hey Sakura! You in there? You guys okay?" Naruto shouted, banging on the door, eventually drawing Sakura and Isami out.

Naruto?!

Sakura whispered to herself as she pressed her back against the door, Isami following behind her.

"Is it your friends dear?" Isami asked Sakura, who went to the window to make sure it really was Naruto.

Catching sight of the familiar orange of her hyperactive comrade's jumpsuit, she opened the door with a sense of relief.

"I'm glad you're all okay." she said with a worried smile, which faded once she saw Kakashi holding Harata.

"Wha-- what happened to you?!" she questioned as Naruto and Sasuke stepped inside, followed by Kakashi.

"Goodness, are you alright dear?" a very concerned Isami inquired, the other women and children gathering around the commotion as well.

"Oh, I'm fine, just a little-- "

"Her body is paralyzed." Kakashi interrupted Harata, causing her to look at him with a puzzled expression on her face; to which he quickly returned a stern glare, as if daring her to challenge his statement.

"You can lay her down there." Isami said, pointing to a vacant sofa; motioning for the other women and children to step aside.

"Thanks." Kakashi replied with a warm smile, as he laid Harata down gently.

"How did she become paralyzed?" Sakura asked, looking at Harata's limp body. Kakashi studied the wound on Harata's side once more.

"Most likely through that injury of hers. It entered her bloodstream, and spread throughout the rest of her body." he explained

"We encountered a similar situation when we encountered the supposed rogue ninja in the woods." Kakashi finished, as Harata and Sakura looked at him in surprise.

So they were experiencing difficulties...

Harata thought to herself.

"The paralysis should wear off in a couple hours." Kakashi reassured, as Harata felt a wave of relief come over her, though Isami still seemed on edge.

"Have you seen my father and husband? They said they were going to back you and your students up, but they haven't returned yet." Isami asked Kakashi in a distraught manner.

He turned to face her, with a sudden realization that he hadn't seen them either.

"No, I haven't. I'll go look for them." he replied,without waiting for her response.

Kakashi had just started toward the door, when one of Isami's children ran to the window.

"papa's back mama!!" Isami's youngest son shouted happily, as she rushed over to the window, and then to the door.

She opened it to see her husband standing there with her father, along with the other men.

"Shoichi!! Father, you're both safe!! Thank goodness!!" Isami cried, as she embraced the chief and her husband.

"Sorry to make you worry Isami. We laid in wait, but we didn't come across any of them. I'll chalk that up to Kakashi and his team." the chief spoke up, as he stepped inside along with the rest of the village's fishermen.

"I'm just glad you're all safe now." Isami replied, drying the tears that started falling.

The chief's grandchildren ran over to him and their father and hugged them both.

"Yes yes, little ones. Your stubborn grandfather is alright. No need to worry." the chief said playfully. All the other village women went over to reunite with their husbands and sons, as they too thanked Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura profusely.

After getting settled in, the chief stood up in the crowded living room and prepared to address his people.

"Everyone!! Give me your attention please!!" the chief called out, as the villagers grew silent.

"First, I want to thank all those present here for their cooperation. As you all know by now, we enlisted aid from outside of the village. We were blessed with brave young warriors who put their lives on the line for us. Thanks to their efforts, our town is now free of those who pillaged our home.

Please, believe me when I say the Hidden Leaf Village has our eternal gratitude. Allow us to continue to show our hospitality by aiding your Hokage in any future endeavours. Thank you, from all of us. We now have our home back." he finally finished as he along with everyone else bowed in respect.

Naruto and Sakura looked around at the villagers happily, Sasuke remained stone faced, but inside, he was relieved that these people would finally be safe.

Harata could only watch everyone celebrate as if they had been liberated from a tyrannical ruler. She was happy that she could be of assistance, but was miserable not being able to move.

She wanted desperately to just use her power, but didn't want to go against Tsunade's orders.

Guess I'll just have to tough it out.

the injured young warrior thought to herself, until she noticed Isami approaching her with a man.

"Don't be alarmed dear, I know your situation is a bit complicated, but this is a doctor. He'll get you patched up. If it's alright with you, I'll have you spend the night here. That way we can keep a better eye on you." Isami said softly as the doctor began to clean and dress Harata's wound.

"Oh, thank you Isami san." Harata replied, knowing better than to argue with a worried mother.

"Thank you as well sir." Harata said to the doctor, who nodded in acknowledgement.

By nightfall, everyone had returned to their respective homes. Even though Harata was fatigued due to a foreign agent, it was still the first night in a long time that she was able to sleep peacefully through.

When morning came however, her body appeared to be back in working condition, albeit with some stretching and flexing involved. Which either way, she was satisfied with the result.

Although they were only there for 4 days, it felt like longer. But in this short amount of time, Harata had become quite fond of this little town, and was sad to leave it behind, but at the same time, she knew their business was finished there.

Once they packed up to leave, almost everyone in the small fishing village was present to say their goodbyes, and wish the Leaf shinobi well.

Isami made sure Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had a hearty breakfast before they left, and gave them some food for the long journey home.

And with their mission completed, Kakashi's squad and Harata departed for Konoha.


	14. A Night Under the Moon

Finally having some down time after his students went to sleep, Kakashi chose to partake in his favorite pastime of reading Make-out paradise.

In order to enjoy his treasure in private, he opted to scale the rooftop of the guest house. Somehow the mysterious shinobi felt as if he had neglected his prized possession somewhat.

Fairly engrossed in his treasured novel, he didn't notice Harata sneaking up on him.

"Ahoy there matey!! I come bearing gifts!!" she shouted dramatically.

He didn't budge, so Harata set down the food she was carrying, and crawled over to where he was laying.

"Hey ninja boy, you awake?" she whispered as she approached.

 _Is he asleep, or just ignoring me?_ Harata wondered as she observed his still form.

 _Maybe this'll annoy him enough into answering then..._ she plotted as she stood back up.

"Oh no!! He's not answering! He must've died of starvation!!" she shouted in a fake voice of devastation.

"If only he had eaten! He might still be in the world of the living right now!!" she continued, finally prompting Kakashi to reply to her antics.

"How long do you intend to keep this charade up?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Until you eat something. You barely ate today, and didn't eat yesterday at all." she replied in an authoritative voice.

"You certainly have the whole mother thing down. I'll give you that much." he countered, still completely focused on reading.

"Why thank you kindly." she retorted proudly, as Kakashi gave in to her whims and sighed.

"You're really that worried about me eating?" he inquired as he sat up, his back to her still.

"Well, your students need you. And it won't help if you collapse from hunger." she scolded.

Kakashi hesitated for a minute before replying.

"I suppose you're right." he finally agreed.

"Good boy. Isami san made you a plate before we left." Harata said as she stood up, grabbed the food, and set it down in front of him.

"Enjoy." she said as she turned to walk away, though Kakashi was secretly determined to seek vengeance for being disturbed.

"Is there anything in here you made?" he asked suddenly, causing Harata to stop.

"Oh...I dunno. Isami san wrapped it up. Besides, even if there was I didn't poison it." she said defensively.

"No, it wasn't meant as an insult. I just wanted to try some of your cooking. I promised I would." he explained apologetically.

"Oh...well it's nothing special. You don't have to eat anything I made. Just so long as you eat something, I'm satisfied- " she broke off, embarrassed by letting that slip. She could only pray he didn't hear the last bit.

"Anyway...enjoy your food." she recovered quickly, as she bowed quickly, ready to leave Kakashi to his own vices again.

"Care to join me? I enjoy good company." he asked, turning towards her now.

"Wha-- wait!! But... but... um...you'd have to remove your mask to eat, wouldn't you?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"It's fine. I can eat with it on." he countered easily, as Harata turned back around.

"Oh...okay then. I guess I don't see why not. Not like I'm going to sleep anyway." she stammered as she walked back over to the edge of the guest house, and sat down far away from Kakashi, causing him to give her a curious look.

"You know...I'm not contagious. You don't have to sit that far away like I'm a disease." he said, feeling a little offended.

"Sorry, I just don't want to catch an accidental glimpse of something that might cost me my life." she attempted to explain away her cautionary actions.

"Cost you your life? I'd never put my hands on a woman, but suit yourself. Oh, it's still warm. Nice." he replied as he unwrapped the food.

"Oh...yeah, about that. I warmed it up for you while carrying it." she admitted hesitantly.

"How...?" he started to question, until Harata summoned a flame big enough to fit in the palm of her hand.

"Oh, right. The fire thing." he simply replied before unwrapping the rest of the food.

"Well, thanks for the meal." he said innocently as he began eating. Harata sat with her right knee folded up to her chest, and her left leg dangling over the edge of the guest house; arms wrapped around her knee.

She glued her eyes to the glowing night sky, fighting the urge to see if he really ate with his mask on or not.

"It's delicious!" she suddenly heard him say as excitedly as he could manage, which wasn't that much.

"I knew you'd like it." she said in a know it all fashion, thinking Isami only put the food she had cooked on the plate.

"Would you like some?" he offered.

"Oh, that's okay, you eat. I at least had lu-- mmph!!!" she was cut off by a sushi roll being forcefully stuffed into her mouth.

Shifting her watery eyed gaze to her right, she could now see Kakashi sitting next to her, forcing her to eat the roll between his chopsticks while smiling innocently.

"It's really good. You should have some." he said in a sweet yet malicious tone.

Harata's face turned to extreme fear as she tried to chew it enough, as to not choke.

 _This is it...the moment I knew would come sooner or later...he's trying to kill me..._ Harata frantically thought as she finally managed to swallow.

Needing a moment to recover, she stared at him with a look of bewilderment.

"You...you really tried to kill me just now!!!" she shouted as she jumped away from him.

"You're right, it's not poisoned." was all he said with an angelic smile, completely ignoring her.

"Hey!! Don't ignore me you sadist!!" she shouted angrily as he continued to eat contently.

Flustered, she accidentally let something slip that she would soon come to regret.

"...psycho..." she muttered under her breath, as Kakashi stopped chewing simultaneously upon catching her comment.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" he interrogated, behind her in a flash before she even knew what happened.

Armed with chopsticks in his right hand, he grabbed her from behind, and threatened her with another sushi roll.

"I didn't catch what you said just now. Could you please repeat that?" he continued with an intimidating smile.

Fearing for her life, she raised a white flag with her right hand, signaling her surrender, making Kakashi finally release his grip as she sank to her knees.

"You're such an understanding person." he said calmly as he sat back down; which scared her even more.

She would remember this night for a long time, for this was the night she almost lost her life. She knew she had narrowly escaped death. If he wanted to, he could've ended it all on this rooftop in the blink of an eye.

She had to make peace with the beast. But how? How could she calm this silent monster?

Then she had an idea. She composed herself and walked over to where he sat, standing by his side until he acknowledged her.

"Come back for more?" he said, his eye darting sharply to meet with hers.

Harata merely remain silent as she knelt down beside him, and took a deep breath before patting his head.

"There there boy, I'm sorry. You must be grumpy because you're hungry. I understand now. Let me make it up to you." she proposed, as Kakashi stared at her suspiciously.

"What are you up to now?" he asked cautiously, as he eyed her carefully.

"I have no ulterior motives, I promise. I just want to make up with you." she said, as she continued to pat and rub his head, but became easily distracted by how nice Kakashi's hair was.

"Wow!! Your hair's pretty and soft!" she said in surprise, playing with his hair now.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked sourly, realizing she was treating him like a puppy.

"I'm not a dog, you know." he tried, but to no avail as she was lost in her own world.

Sighing heavily, he resigned to the fact that she wouldn't notice anything he did right now.

"Since you're here...I could use a nice lap pillow." he said as he slid the empty plate aside.

"Okay!!" she agreed instantly to his surprise.

"Ah, I was just kidding. You don't have to do something that embarrassing." he said nervously. But Harata had already went from kneeling beside him to sitting.

"Go ahead, I don't care." she said eagerly with a carefree smile.

"Are you sure? You really don't mind?" he double checked.

"Yeah, I let Setsuna lay on my lap all the time. I'm used to it." she assured with a matter-of-fact expression.

"Oh...I see. Well thank you then." he said as he laid his head on her lap without reservation.

"This isn't...uncomfortable for you?" he asked cautiously once more.

Harata hesitated for a moment, as if trying to think of how to formulate a proper response.

"Eh, it's no big deal. I find it akin to a child taking a nap." she replied, unaware of the underlying connotation behind her statement.

"I'm far from a child, but I suppose I understand what you're trying to say." he finished as he raised his book up to his face to continue reading.

"I've been curious about something since I met you." she said as he half listened; though she continued anyway.

"Sorry, but I was just wondering why you keep one eye covered." she finished.

Almost as if he anticipated her inquiry, he closed his book.

"I thought you'd get curious sooner or later. It's a long story." he finally answered.

Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, she began to instantly regret asking.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. One of my male friends keeps his eye covered too...so I thought it was just a style or something is all...kay, I'll drop the subject no-- "

"If you're that curious I'll tell you." Kakashi interjected, cutting her off as he sat up.

Deciding to give her a shortened version of the explanation.

"To put it bluntly, I can't completely control its power. My left eye contains dangerous abilities that are hard to predict when it's open. So I keep it covered." he finished, drawing in the undivided attention of the young warrior.

"Oooh wow!!! Can I see?" she asked eagerly, getting on her hands and knees and crawling closer to him.

"I'm sorry, but I only uncover it when I fight seriously. And I don't know how it would affect you." he explained.

"I'll be okay, it probably won't affect me the same way it would a normal human." she reminded, unintentionally invading his personal space.

He glanced off to his right, deep in thought. Considering the fact that she isn't entirely human, she was most likely right. He hadn't thought about that aspect. Though he wasn't completely convinced yet.

He turned his focus back towards Harata, but was taken aback once he noticed that her eyes appeared to be different colors.

Her right eye, a hazel blue like the sky. Her left eye an orangish-brown like fire. Both of which seemed to be glowing unnaturally. He couldn't help but stare, a little caught off guard.

It was strange that someone as alert as he was never noticed it before.

Realizing he was staring at her or seemingly focused on something else, she cocked her head in confusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked, causing him to break his gaze.

"Your eyes... they're different too... And they're glowing..." he finally got out cautiously.

"Geez, that's all? I thought you saw some creepy shit behind me." she replied sighing in relief.

"Oh, sorry. I just never noticed it before." he said apologetically.

"It's cool man. I honestly forgot about that anyway." she admitted.

"It kinda just happened naturally as I got older and stronger. My mom was even surprised once she noticed it too. I'm the only one in my clan it happened to though.

Guess it's a genetic mutation from my bloodline." she finally finished.

"So you weren't always like that either..." he said quietly, though Harata still heard him.

"Huh...?" was all she managed to get out before Kakashi proceeded to lift the left side of his headband up, revealing his left eye that he held shut.

She stared in amazement at the scar which engulfed his eye. At a loss for words, she remained silent for a while.

She was more than used to seeing battle scars, but Kakashi's seem to invoke feelings of unspeakable sadness from her.

Then he opened his left eye, revealing the result of his past. Immediately, as if in a trance, she couldn't break away from his gaze.

Suddenly a barrage of images flooded her mind. What she saw almost brought her to tears. In what seemed like hours, but was only a couple seconds; she saw Kakashi's entire life flash before her.

It was so much to take in that she seemed to space out, until he called out to her, snapping her back to reality.

"Are you okay?!" he asked sounding slightly concerned. She responded with a nod, and sat back on her knees for a moment.

Feeling a little guilty, Kakashi finally broke the awkward silence again.

"I...saw something..." he spoke up, drawing her attention.

"You did...?" she asked, intrigued that the same thing happened to him.

"Yes. I think I saw something I wasn't supposed to." he replied, with a look of compassion.

"Me too." she responded, although his expression bothered her for some reason.

"What'd you see?" she asked eagerly.

"...someone's life up until now..." he answered, as she tried to understand his vague response.

"Someone's life?" she interrogated, noticing how hesitant he became.

He finally looked her in the eye, and reluctantly revealed the whole truth.

"...yours..." he finally admitted, causing Harata to grow deathly silent.

"Stop joking...that's impossible." she said with a nervous chuckle, not wanting to accept what they both experienced was real.

Seeing that she didn't believe him, he decided to cite one of the events that he witnessed.

"You almost lost your life over someone who mistreated you badly..." he said, never breaking eye contact as her pupils dilated.

"...how...?!" she squeaked out shakily, backing away from him instantly.

Kakashi remained calm, seemingly giving her a look of sympathy. Truthfully, he could understand her reaction. He was rather perturbed himself.

He in fact was hoping that what he had seen her go through in those flashes, was some kind of mind altering effect of using the Sharingan. But deep down, he knew it wasn't. Her response spoke for itself.

"Sorry..." he started, but couldn't seem to find the right words at that moment.

"Pretty pathetic, wasn't it?" she replied immediately as her head hung slightly out of shame.

"Excuse me...?" he replied inquisitively.

"...how weak I was...that's the main reason I focused on getting stronger." she responded, hiding her face by turning away from him.

He stayed quiet, unsure of how to answer as she continued.

"I take it, you saw all of my interactions with him?" she asked, her voice trembling a little.

He just let her talk, figuring she needed to get it off her chest.

"It's okay though. I'm not gullible like I was back then. But I guess you know everything now..." she finished, trying to wave it all off as if it were nothing.

"There's nothing weak about caring for others. Those who can't appreciate another's life are worse than scum." he said firmly.

"And from what I've seen so far, you value the lives of those around you more than your own. There's nothing to be ashamed of. People who try to take advantage of your strength are the weak ones." he continued.

Feeling a rush of emotions, she sat down, and buried her head in her arms. She felt so vulnerable right now, something she desperately never wanted to feel again.

But yet again, Kakashi managed to bring that suppressed feeling to the surface.

 _Why...? Why do I always lose my composure around him? Everytime. I always end up doing or saying something stupid. What the hell is wrong with me?!_ she argued with herself in her head.

Then she suddenly remembered the images that flashed through her mind and quickly sat up, catching Kakashi's attention.

 _But...if what I saw was real, then..._ she trailed off in thought.

"I think...I saw your past too..." she spoke up, causing Kakashi to become visibly bothered.

But before he could say anything, she walked back over toward him, and pulled him into her arms.

Overcome by an overwhelming instinct to comfort him, she held his face close to her chest; her head resting on top of his.

Having never experienced such a gentle sensation before, Kakashi was caught off guard with no time to react. It was strange, but oddly, he didn't seem to mind it.

 ** _"I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. It must've been hard..."_** was all he heard her say, as she embraced him under the lone moonlit sky.

The quiet, night breeze seemed to lull him into a state of carefree bliss.

They both stayed like that for awhile, until Harata realized what she was doing, and started mentally freaking out and let go.

"Crap... I'm sorry...that's usually how I comfort my friends, and I wasn't thinking...but of course that would work with them, they're all girls...Guys hate that kind of stuff." Harata ranted nervously.

"No, I thoroughly enjoyed it. They felt really soft- _it_ felt very nice." he replied, hoping Harata didn't catch what he was really talking about.

"Really? I didn't think guys were into hugs and stuff like that." she inquired innocently.

"Trust me, there are exceptions to that rule." he reassured eagerly.

Ever oblivious to his underlying meaning, she bore a confused expression.

"Nevermind that. At any rate, thank you." he said with a smile, pulling his headband back over his eye.

Harata returned a shy smile as she felt her face grow hot, though she wasn't sure why.

"Y-you're welcome." she stumbled over her words, feeling like she was in the danger zone again.

"Are you feeling okay? You look a bit red in the face." he asked suddenly.

"Huh? Oh no, I'm good...it's just- make-up..." she answered nervously and quickly.

"You wear make-up? I never noticed." he replied, as he closely inspected her face, making her back up.

"Oh, you're right." he said in a surprised tone.

Sure that he was screwing with her, she looked at him suspiciously.

"Goodness, it's pretty late. Guess I'll grab some shut eye. There's still a lot of work to get done. Night." he called back with a yawn, as he casually hopped down off the roof and went inside the guest house.

Harata stood there, somewhat speechless by this point, but ultimately just gave up; resigning to the fact that he was just being polite.

Either way, she had to come to terms with something. She was slowly growing quite fond of her new acquaintances.

 _Maybe they could all even become friends someday..._ she pondered innocently, now sitting alone in the dark.


	15. A Fierce Battle

It wasn't long before dawn approached, especially considering that Harata had spent the night up on the roof. Though after what happened last night, it was quite difficult for her not to be restless.

The young warrior once again found herself watching the sunrise alone. She knew the situation she now found herself in was complicated, but she was starting to long for her family, friends, and home.

She gazed somberly at the beautiful orange-red colors enveloping the sky, which only seemed to make her feel worse.

She would return home someday wouldn't she?

She grasped the precious reminder of where she truly belonged, that dangled from her neck as she sat in silence.

This feeling of longing to see her loved ones again was an all too familiar sensation, which she thought she had buried all those years ago. But now, it was resurfacing with a vengeance.

"It won't do me any good to keep dwelling on what can't be changed." she said to herself as she stood up, immediately met by the loud sound of an explosion that seemed to come from inside the village.

"What the hell?!" she shouted as she jumped down off the building, everyone else running out of their homes as well.

She saw Isami, the chief, and Isami's husband outside already, as Kakashi and his squad came out.

"Damn! They've finally come!! Isami! Round all the women and children into our home and keep the doors bolted shut!!" the chief yelled, as Isami started to run off.

"Wait! Isami san! I'll go with you, it'll be dangerous!" Harata called after her as she stopped and turned around.

"Thank you!! Come now, we must hurry!!" she replied in agreement, as the two took off together. The chief looked to his son-in-law, who nodded in silence as he went to round up all the men who were able to fight.

Kakashi seeing where the explosion had come from due to the billowing smoke, began relegating orders to his squads as well.

"Sakura, stay here in the village. Anyone who gets injured will need medical attention. Naruto, Sasuke, you'll be with me." he finished, both the boys nodding in agreement.

The chief, catching sight of Kakashi hurried over to the silver haired jonin, as fast as his old legs could carry him.

"We'll stick to the plan we discussed to avoid any unnecessary casualties." the chief said calmly to Kakashi, who nodded in return and turned to head off with Naruto and Sasuke outside of the village to the fishing and hunting grounds.

Moments later, Isami's husband returned with all the village's able bodied men, spears in hand.

"Chief, please stay with Isami and the others." Isami's husband pleaded.

The chief shot his son-in-law a look of surprise.

"Shoichi, I can't stand by...and possibly lose another son. I won't!! They will feel our pain and sorrow. We shall bring the wrath of the innocent lives they have taken down upon them!!" the chief rallied, the village men shouting a war cry in unison.

Shoichi, the chief's son-in-law could only watch in admiration, and hope to continue to live up to his leader's expectations.

"Yes father, I understand your grief...but please, exercise caution." The gruff, weathered old man nodded, as Shoichi handed the chief his late son and Isami's older brother's hunting spear, to ready themselves for the defense of their home.

"We leave as soon as the women and children are all safe!!" the chief commanded as all the men nodded in agreement.

He then turned to Sakura with a stern expression on his face.

"Leaf village shinobi, I am trusting that you and that young woman who left with Isami will keep our families safe while we are away. Please protect them as if they were your own."

Sakura looked up with an air of confidence and honor that she was tasked with something so important.

"You have my word sir." she replied firmly, just as a brilliant vortex of fire appeared before everyone, startling them all.

"Wha- ?!" the chief hollered as Shoichi and all the men steeled themselves for an attack. But once the vortex cleared, Harata stood there along with Isami, and the other women and children of the village.

Needless to say she was quite surprised to find spears pointed at them, but after realizing their mistake, the men lowered their guard.

"It's just you." the chief spoke up as Isami ushered the women and children inside their fortified bunker of a house.

"Thank you for keeping my daughter safe." the chief said with gratitude.

"It's my pleasure. Y'all have been nothin but kind to us. And I promised Isami san that we'd keep you all safe. I intend to keep that promise at any cost." Harata replied with conviction and a deep bow.

Seeing Harata's dedication to Isami, the chief nodded in approval.

"You're different. You have the heart of a fierce warrior, but the soul of a saint. You remind me of my late son in that respect. Fortune be with you young lady." he finished with a firm pat on her shoulder, as they all set off to their positions.

Harata and Sakura watched the men march away, until they were no longer visible.

"Everyone's inside now. Why don't you both come in with us?" Isami suggested.

Harata looked to Isami, and then to Sakura.

"I'll stay outside on guard. You can go inside with them. It'll be better if someone's patrolling out here as well." she explained.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get hurt." Isami tried again.

"If I go inside, and come out when they arrive, they'll know where you all are. This way, lives won't be needlessly put in danger." Harata explained further, hoping Isami would understand.

"I see. I suppose you're right. Alright, I'm going to go inside and tend to the other women and children then. You be careful." Isami warned as she and Sakura went inside and bolted up the doors, Harata giving a firm nod of compliance in return.

Now it was a waiting game. She had participated in plenty of defensive battles before, and this time was no different.

Protect the villagers at all costs.

Although, she hadn't thought of how she might go about dispatching any opponent she may come up against. She knew Kakashi wasn't too keen on taking people's lives, and she didn't want to expose such a peaceful town to the horrors of war either.

However she didn't have long to think it over, as the familiar sound of gunpowder exploding came from the entrance of the village this time.

Breaking off from her thoughts, she became alert and readied herself to engage anyone who came her way, though she saw no one in sight.

Keeping her guard up, she scanned the immediate area for any sign of movement, even a leaf blowing in the wind. She had no idea what kind of skills or tactics the enemy might deploy, but she had confidence that the guys would be fine.

She was more worried about the women and children who couldn't defend themselves. That was her and Sakura's main focus.

Then all at once, she felt someone grab her neck from behind, and hold what appeared to be a dagger to her throat.

"Move and you're dead." came a deep, raspy voice from behind her.

"Now, let's make this easy. Where are your friends hiding?" the man growled in a threatening tone.

"Friends? Not sure what you mean. You'll have to be more specific." she countered sarcastically.

"Oh? More specific? How specific is slitting your throat, and leaving you to bleed out? That specific enough for you kid?" he shot back, pressing the knife deeper to her throat.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just passing through here." Harata said hesitantly, attempting to give the strange man a false sense of security.

"Passing through huh? Well, I'm just passing through too. Though, I'm a little low on funds. Gonna need some spare change." her aggressor hissed back at her with just as much sarcasm as she had given him.

"Apologies...but I can't comply with that request..." Harata replied coldly, before vanishing into flames and reappearing in front of him.

"How bout we try this again? Go ahead, I'll wait." she said with her arms folded, watching the look of surprise on the masked man's face.

"Oh...this just got interesting." was all the man said as he pulled out a small bamboo flute and blew on it.

Whatever noise it made, she couldn't hear it, but suddenly more masked men seemed to materialize from beyond the trees, and the ground. It looked to be well over forty others who appeared out of nowhere.

She could only pray that no one inside the house made any sudden movements or noise at this point.

"Guess the poor fishermen acquired some new allies. Well any rate, we came here for a good reason, so get out of the way little girl." the guy who seemed to be the leader snapped, as he remain unfazed.

"I don't give a damn what you came here for." Harata shot back, as she summoned her dual sabers to her hands in a swirl of flames.

"Okay, you won't move voluntarily...guess I'll have to make you move." he sneered, throwing a plethora of knives at her all at once, as she quickly put up her guard, and deflected the incoming assault with ease.

"Gonna have to do a lot better than that if you wanna kill me." she warned, as the leader disappeared in a cloud of smoke and reappeared on her left side, throwing more knives, and making signs with his hands that were too fast for her to see.

She jumped back from the intended strike zone, and landed a couple feet backwards. Readying herself for the next attack, Harata raised her blades in a defensive stance.

Inside, Sakura could hear what was going on outside the house, but didn't want to risk exposing everyone else by going out to try to help.

Besides, she had to keep everyone inside safe from the danger outside too. This was her mission.

She had to follow orders, no matter how much she wanted to help Harata.

She knew her role as part of team seven, and she had to do it well. Still, she worried about her teammates and teacher.

Though she knew they were strong, and that's why they were out there fighting, and she wasn't.

"You guys better be okay..." Sakura shouted in her head, trying to remain calm and strong for everyone else's sake.

* * *

Outside of the village on the hunting grounds, the battle grew even fiercer. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke were putting up a strong offense, but there seemed to be no end to the hordes of enemy ninja.

Naruto had deployed his shadow clones to help even the odds, but soon even that wasn't enough.

"man, where are all these guys comin from?!" he shouted a little frustrated.

"Just stay focused!" Kakashi called out to his students in a slightly serious tone as he too fought off the unending stream of enemies.

Something was very off. Though what it was, he couldn't put his finger on it exactly.

"They aren't particularly skilled. Their numbers are the real problem. Even for a brigade of rogue ninja, this is a bit much..." Kakashi thought to himself, as he cut another shinobi with his kunai, noticing something odd in the process.

 ** _...The ninja he cut wasn't bleeding..._**

"Hmm...strange. Armor perhaps?" Kakashi mulled over in his head, dodging another one who was quite intent on impaling him in the chest.

Then it hit him...there weren't more coming...the ones that were already taken out just kept coming at them again.

"What is this? Some sort of Genjutsu?" he continued thinking, nimbly evading failed attempts to wound him.

Naruto and Sasuke seemed to eventually catch on to the strange nature of the battle as well, and regrouped with Kakashi.

"They're not dying. No matter how many times we cut them down." Sasuke observed; he and Naruto back to back.

"yeah, I noticed. Thought I was going crazy before. Hey Kakashi sensei!! What's up with these guys? They're not croaking yet!!" Naruto called out to their teacher, who remained silent, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

It suddenly dawned on Kakashi as he remembered all the explosions earlier.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't noticed any damage to the woods consistent with any type of fire damage.

It was all starting to make sense to him now. They were just smoke bombs.

"All three of them must've inadvertently inhaled some sort of hallucinogenic gas that made them think they were fighting off more men than they actually were...

It was as if the rogue ninja had anticipated where they would advance. Which meant...they were wasting their time with a distraction." Kakashi finally deduced.

"They planned this all along. But how did they know?" Kakashi's thoughts were quickly interrupted by Naruto calling out to him again.

"Naruto! Sasuke! This is all just a hallucination. We need to leave...now!!" Kakashi ordered as he dropped his guard.

"What?!" both the boys shouted in unison.

"If this is all fake...then where's the enemy?" Sasuke questioned.

"oh no...the village..." Naruto said with the horrific realization of what had actually happened.

"Kakashi sensei-- "

"I know. Let's go." Kakashi replied calmly, as they all took off back toward the village. His mind on making sure everyone came out of this altercation alive.

* * *

Back at the village, Harata continued to single handedly fend off the invaders, but wondered how long she could keep it up without ending it permanently.

She had managed to evade most of their attacks so far, but had gotten injured by the head shinobi.

Seeing that his men were making no headway with fighting her, he ordered them to halt by holding up his hand.

"I've had enough, all of you start looking for whatever you can grab, and take it. I'll deal with this myself." he ordered.

The rogue ninja were about to disperse, when Harata quickly summoned a wave of flames that knocked all of them back, rendering them unconscious.

Caught off guard by this, the leader looked around at his incapacitated men in shock.

He then turned back to Harata with a sinister smirk, his inability to end this raid quickly evident from the frustration spewing from his eyes.

"Pretty impressive. Let's see you try that on me." he boasted as he came at her himself, both of them now facing off against each other.

They both carried on, until she noticed her vision going slightly blurry, and her body growing heavy. Her head began to sway as they both deadlocked, and she stumbled a little.

It was at this moment that she started to realize how fatigued she felt, something she rarely ever experienced.

 _The hell's goin on? I feel like I'm about to collapse.._. she wondered, the confusion evident on her face.

"Heh, I was hoping it would kick in soon. I'll give you this, you have a pretty strong tolerance for anybody that's ever come into contact with this stuff. It's really potent, yet you're still on your feet. No matter...I'll fix that." he mocked as he threw a single kunai at her.

She brought up her swords as fast as she could, but was struggling. Her arms were starting to feel too weak to even lift her weapons.

After using every fiber of her being just to block the kunai, her arms fell limp to her side, and she started to have trouble standing.

Her legs felt like they were about to buckle, and her vision was getting worse.

The rebel leader started laughing maniacally as he clasped three more kunai between his fingers, and hurled them at her.

She tried with all her might to move her arms, but her body would barely respond anymore.

 _D_ _amn, well this might hurt a little..._ she thought as she closed her eyes, and prepared to be impaled by the crazed man.

But strangely enough, she didn't feel a thing.

Confused, she opened her eyes to see Kakashi standing in front of her, facing the rogue ninja, along with Naruto and Sasuke.

 _Hatake san?! Damn good timing..._ she rallied in her head, as she collapsed onto one knee, still trying to steady herself.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Kakashi called out to Harata over his shoulder.

She managed to lift her arm up just enough to give him a thumbs up, then let it drop back to her side.

"Was he too much for you?" Kakashi half joked, until he noticed the wound on the right side of her abdomen.

"Just stay there, I'll help you once we're finished." he said as he disappeared instantly in a shroud of smoke and leaves.

Nodding in compliance, Harata forced her head up so she could spectate the rest of the battle, but suddenly caught sight of Kakashi's right hand become engulfed in lightning, which seemed to form a blade.

 _What the...?! What is that?!_ Harata shouted in her head, trying to fathom what she was witnessing.

The two shinobi had been going head to head, until Kakashi gained the upper hand and an opportunity to strike first, intently driving his hand through the rogue ninja's chest.

Kakashi then twisted his hand to ensure death; the bewildered rebel's eyes now focused on the visible hole in his body.

He then looked into Kakashi's eyes with an expression of utter hatred as Kakashi removed his hand, and let the defeated shinobi sink to his knees, fall over, and die.

Kakashi then turned his attention back to Harata, as she struggled to get to her feet.

"hey, you okay?" Naruto called out to her, seeing how tired she looked.

"Yeah, I'm good. You guys alright?" she answered, attempting to stand again in vain, as her legs gave out and made her fall.

"You don't look _good_ to me." Kakashi chastised, quickly moving to catch her.

"I told you to stay put and wait for me." he scolded once more, holding her up.

"I'm fine, really..." she lied, her whole body feeling weak.

"Alright, then stand and walk on your own." he challenged, letting go of her.

"Fine." she said confidently, her legs instantly giving out again, as Kakashi caught her.

"Sure. You're absolutely fine. Guess I've got no choice..." he said sarcastically with a sigh, as he scooped up her legs and held her in his arms.

"Oh, and don't fuss about this either, or I'll drop you in a lake." Kakashi warned, halting any attempts at an objection by her.

"...fine...thank you." she muttered, finally accepting her plight.

"Where are the rest of the villagers?" Sasuke asked, as they headed toward the chief's lodging.

"Oh, right. They're all inside with Isami san and your teammate. I asked her to stay with them, while I dealt with the enemy." Harata finished.

"I see." Sasuke replied, shifting his gaze to Harata's wound.

"Does it hurt much?" he asked, which was more than she ever heard him say to her before.

"Nah, not really. Just a scratch." she answered with a cheeky grin, as Sasuke went silent again.

"hey Sakura! You in there? You guys okay?" Naruto shouted, banging on the door, eventually drawing Sakura and Isami out.

"Naruto?!" Sakura whispered to herself as she pressed her back against the door, Isami following behind her.

"Is it your friends dear?" Isami asked Sakura, who went to the window to make sure it really was Naruto.

Catching sight of the familiar orange of her hyperactive comrade's jumpsuit, she opened the door with a sense of relief.

"I'm glad you're all okay." Sakura said with a worried smile, which faded once she saw Kakashi holding Harata.

"What happened to you?!" the young girl questioned, as Naruto and Sasuke stepped inside, followed by Kakashi.

"Goodness, are you alright dear?" a very concerned Isami inquired, the other women and children gathering around the commotion as well.

"Oh, I'm fine, just a little-- "

"Her body is paralyzed." Kakashi interrupted Harata, causing her to look at him with a puzzled expression on her face; to which he quickly returned a stern glare, as if daring her to challenge his statement.

"You can lay her down there." Isami said, pointing to a vacant sofa; motioning for the other women and children to step aside.

"Thanks." Kakashi replied with a warm smile, as he laid Harata down gently.

"How did she become paralyzed?" Sakura asked, looking at Harata's limp body. Kakashi studied the wound on Harata's side once more.

"Most likely through that injury of hers. It entered her bloodstream, and spread throughout the rest of her body." he explained.

"We encountered a similar situation when we fought the supposed rogue ninja in the woods." Kakashi finished, as Harata and Sakura looked at him in surprise.

 _So they were experiencing difficulties..._ Harata thought to herself.

"The paralysis should wear off in a couple hours." Kakashi reassured, as Harata felt a wave of relief come over her, though Isami still seemed on edge.

"Have you seen my father and husband? They said they were going to back you and your students up, but they haven't returned yet." Isami asked Kakashi in a distraught manner.

He turned to face her, with a sudden realization that he hadn't seen them either.

"No, I haven't. I'll go look for them." he replied,without waiting for her response.

Kakashi had just started toward the door, when one of Isami's children ran to the window.

"papa's back mama!!" Isami's youngest son shouted happily, as she rushed over to the window, and then to the door.

She opened it to see her husband standing there with her father, along with the other men.

"Shoichi!! Father, you're both safe!! Thank goodness!!" Isami cried, as she embraced the chief and her husband.

"Sorry to make you worry Isami. We laid in wait, but we didn't come across any of them. I'll chalk that up to Kakashi and his team." the chief spoke up, as he stepped inside along with the rest of the village's fishermen.

"I'm just glad you're all safe now." Isami replied, drying the tears that started falling.

The chief's grandchildren ran over to him and their father and hugged them both.

"Yes yes, little ones. Your stubborn grandfather is alright. No need to worry." the chief said playfully. All the other village women went over to reunite with their husbands and sons, as they too thanked Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura profusely.

After getting settled in, the chief stood up in the crowded living room and prepared to address his people.

"Everyone!! Give me your attention please!!" the chief called out, as the villagers grew silent.

"First, I want to thank all those present here for their cooperation. As you all know by now, we enlisted aid from outside of the village. We were blessed with brave young warriors who put their lives on the line for us. Thanks to their efforts, our town is now free of those who pillaged our home.

Please, believe me when I say the Hidden Leaf Village has our eternal gratitude. Allow us to continue to show our hospitality by aiding your Hokage in any future endeavours. Thank you, from all of us. We now have our home back." he finally finished as he along with everyone else bowed in respect.

Naruto and Sakura looked around at the villagers happily, Sasuke remained stone faced, but inside, he was relieved that these people would finally be safe.

Harata could only watch everyone celebrate as if they had been liberated from a tyrannical ruler. She was happy that she could be of assistance, but was miserable not being able to move.

She wanted desperately to just use her power, but didn't want to go against Tsunade's orders.

 _Guess I'll just have to tough it out._

the injured young warrior thought to herself, until she noticed Isami approaching her with a man.

"Don't be alarmed dear, I know your situation is a bit complicated, but this is a doctor. He'll get you patched up. If it's alright with you, I'll have you spend the night here. That way we can keep a better eye on you." Isami said softly as the doctor began to clean and dress Harata's wound.

"Oh, thank you Isami san." Harata replied, knowing better than to argue with a worried mother.

"Thank you as well sir." Harata said to the doctor, who nodded in acknowledgement.

* * *

By nightfall, everyone had returned to their respective homes. Even though Harata was fatigued due to a foreign agent, it was still the first night in a long time that she was able to sleep peacefully through.

When morning came however, her body appeared to be back in working condition, albeit with some stretching and flexing involved. Which either way, she was satisfied with the result.

Although they were only there for 4 days, it felt like longer. But in this short amount of time, Harata had become quite fond of this little town, and was sad to leave it behind, but at the same time, she knew their business was finished there.

Once they packed up to leave, almost everyone in the small fishing village was present to say their goodbyes, and wish the Leaf shinobi well.

Isami made sure Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had a hearty breakfast before they left, and gave them some food for the long journey home.

And with their mission completed, Kakashi's squad and Harata departed for Konoha.


	16. Coming to Terms

It had now officially been a day since Harata accompanied Squad seven on their mission to the fishing village, but she was already finding it hard to adjust to living in secrecy once more.

Of course it mainly was because she couldn't move as freely as she had during the time outside of the Leaf village.

Her mind slowly wandered to thoughts of Isami, the chief, and the villagers. They were all so kind and inviting, and she truly hoped they wouldn't have to endure such violence again.

 _They're good folk, maybe we can visit them again_ _sometime_ _._ she contemplated, knowing full well that she most likely would never see them again, causing her to let out a sigh of slight frustration.

And to make matters worse, she hadn't gotten a chance to take care of her personal mission at all while they were gone.

She had been so focused on aiding her new acquaintances, that it slipped her mind.

After all a lot had happened over the course of the time she had taken refuge within the Leaf village's walls, yet still no progress on finding her friends.

The more she thought about it, the more she got the notion that they might not actually be in the same dimension as her at all.

She couldn't sense their power anywhere, and never heard any reports from the neighboring villages about strange sightings.

Even when they reported back to Lady Tsunade upon returning, there was nothing new that she could discern of. If that was the case, would she even be able to leave this place?

 ** _"Do you want to leave?"_**

A voice in her head questioned, leaving her rethinking her priorities.

"Of course, I can't stay here. I need to find my way home..." she answered aloud as she lay on her back in bed still.

 ** _"_** ** _And how exactly are you going to do that?"_**

"I--I don't know... I can't transcend different dimensions, but I can't...I can't just stay here..."

 ** _"Let them find you."_**

"Let them find me? But how?"

 ** _"Hara, I'll find you. Please...be safe until then..."_**

Harata suddenly heard, causing her to jerk upright into a sitting position on her bed.

"Who the- ?!" she started, as she looked around the room, eyes wide with confusion, though as expected, the room was empty.

She got up from the bed and walked outside to the small balcony, looking for any kind of sign that someone may have been outside talking in the room next to hers, but saw no one.

As strange as it was, she decided that in her anxious state of mind, she had just imagined it, and walked back inside, sliding the door shut behind her.

But just as she was about to reach the bed again, she heard a light knock on the balcony doors, which caused her to pivot on her heels, and face the door.

"Ummm...yeah?" she answered hesitantly, but was met with no response.

Becoming suspicious, she slid the door open quickly and stepped outside, only to see nobody on the balcony.

Frowning up in confusion, she scanned the immediate area, only to find it void of anyone as well.

"I must be losing it..." she finally mumbled, as she slowly turned back around, only to see Kakashi standing there; making her jump back, and nearly fall down.

"Oh sorry, did I scare you?" he asked calmly, Harata staring daggers at him. She didn't even want to dignify that with an answer.

"Don't mind me, I only dropped by to see how your wound was doing." he continued nonchalantly, as if he hadn't just scared her half to death.

Taking a moment to compose herself before speaking, the tom-boyish young woman finally responded.

"It's already healed, so I took the bandage off." she replied, turning to her right so he could see for himself.

"I heal very fast." she added, as he inspected the spot on her right side that the wound once occupied.

"Not even a scar? Your body chemistry is quite an enigma." he countered in a perplexed manner.

She couldn't help but smile gently and chuckle to herself, because she was amused by his innocent curiosity.

"What? Did I say something funny? You always seem to laugh at me when I'm being serious." he inquired.

"Ah, no no...I just thought...well you kinda reminded me of a kid just now...nevermind, it's hard to explain. I just thought your reaction was cute is all." she finally managed to get out.

"Cute...that's a new one. I don't think anything I've ever done has been referred to as such before. I suppose that's a compliment, so I guess I should thank you." he finished, appearing to really be taking her comment to heart.

"It is, and you're welcome." she replied with a soft smile, as she turned to walk back to her bed and sit down.

"At any rate, I'm glad it's healed..." he simply said in response before turning his back, as if he was going to leave.

"I was a little worried." he said quietly, hoping she hadn't heard him.

He couldn't comprehend why, but ever since their mission in the fishing village, he had been feeling particularly protective of her.

It was an odd and foreign feeling to him. This sensation seemed to go beyond a simple friendship. Though he couldn't understand what it meant.

She had slowly been growing on him the whole time. Even when he and his squad first came upon her, he felt an instant connection with her.

But maybe it was just him thinking of her as a dear friend. Yes, that's all it had to be. Yet no one else ever evoked these kind of feelings from him. It was strange, but at the same time, it felt so warm.

"Huh?" he heard her say, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"What'd you say?" she tried again, as he quickly gathered himself.

"It was nothing." he lied, returning to his light hearted self.

"Ah, okay." Harata replied cautiously.

"I guess you have work to do? Maybe I'll see you around sometime again." she said, making him turn back around.

"I actually...have a couple errands to run. Care to join me?" he inquired to Harata's surprise.

"Oh, sure I don't mind. But won't I be bothering you?"

"Of course not, I invited you to tag along." he reassured with a light smile, making Harata blush a little.

"A-Alright...I'll go with you." she replied happily, still blushing slightly.

"I always enjoy good company." he said, as she stood up, ready to leave with him.

Harata felt elated at the thought of accompanying Kakashi around town. She didn't know why, but the fact that he asked her to come along made her really happy.

They didn't do anything extraordinary, but she found that she was simply enjoying spending time with him. This was the happiest she had been in a long time, it even surpassed her love of combat.

She didn't even notice that she had been in such a good mood until Kakashi mentioned it. Which by that time, night had fallen, and they were both enjoying a quiet night on the rooftop of the inn.

"Thanks for inviting me out today, I really enjoyed myself. It was just as fun-- no, more fun than sparring." she said excitedly, Kakashi's head stuck in the newest issue of Make-out Paradise.

"Is that so?" he questioned, listlessly flipping through his book.

"Yeah!! I wouldn't mind hanging out with you everyday, you're an amusing one." she teased, as he went silent suddenly.

"You're a really sweet and funny guy." she added as she gazed at the sky, unaware that she broke his concentration with her last comment.

"You...really think that of me?" he asked in a shocked tone.

"Yeah!! Ever since I met you, you've proven to be a very honorable and trustworthy man. And you're extremely honest, and incredibly strong. I really admire that about you." Harata paused.

"Give yourself some credit, you're a very good person." she soon continued, giving Kakashi a playful shove.

Kakashi felt his face get hot, and realized he was blushing a little.

"Thank you. No one's ever said that to me before. I honestly don't know what to say." he said, slightly flustered.

"I don't know what I did to deserve such praise, but I appreciate it greatly." he finished, trying to gather his thoughts.

Something felt different, _very_ different...but he couldn't place what it was though.

 _Maybe the calm night air was just getting to him?_

Either way, this sometimes baffling woman was beginning to make him feel very conflicted.

Troubled by this prospective, he tried his best to go back to perusing his novel.

Harata on the other hand, was starting to feel the same familiar sensation that plagued her years ago.

Tired of ignoring it, she finally decided to try and understand it, and let it play out. It had been bugging her for quite some time, but she had no one she could ask for advice besides Kakashi.

If she hadn't pushed it away continually four days prior, she could've possibly spoken with Isami about it.

But, she didn't want to dwell on what she should have done too much. Just worry about the here and now.

 _Should I just ask him instead? He is fairly knowledgeable_

She thought to herself, contemplating how to go about asking. She glanced over and saw him still preoccupied, and figured he would only be half paying attention, and decided to go for it.

"So I've been having this nagging pain in my chest for a couple months now. It comes and goes, but it's nothing that causes physical harm...

I think I've experienced this before when I was younger, but I can't really remember.

Although it has never surfaced since then...until I ended up here." she paused for a moment, but seeing his eyes still glued to his book she continued.

"It's a nice and comforting feeling...but it also feels dangerous, like I should just ignore it. I don't know if this is making any sense, because I obviously don't understand it myself." she finished, fixing her gaze straight ahead.

He remain silent, so she just assumed he wasn't listening at all, and gave up; putting her head in her hand as she sat cross legged.

"Maybe you miss your friends..." he finally spoke up.

Harata thought about what he said, and almost just accepted it, until she realized _who_ had been causing her to feel this way.

"I don't think that's it. It's only one person making me feel that way. I do miss them, but this is different...

...as if someone is trying to tell me something, but I can't hear what they're trying to say." she retorted, still focused on the pleasant view of the village.

"One person?" he questioned, seeming more interested in what she was saying now.

"Just one. But, I don't particularly dislike it...I'm just confused."

"Are you not on good terms with this person? Maybe you're angry at them." he countered, still casually flipping through his book.

"No, I'm not angry at them, and I don't hate them. I actually really enjoy being around them. They're kind of like a kindred spirit to me, but I'll admit I want to throw something at them sometimes...

...but I can tell they're just a little prankster." she explained, piquing Kakashi's interest even more, though he played it cool.

"Sounds like you're pretty _fond_ of this person." he replied, as Harata shifted her gaze to him now, ready to interrogate him thoroughly.

" _Fond_? What do you mean by that?" she asked, a little unnerved.

"I mean it sounds like you care deeply for this person. Maybe on an _intimate_ level-"

" _I-i_ _ntimate_?!" she shouted in surprise, cutting him off as she moved away from him; her face burning up from embarrassment.

Her reaction caught him off guard, and he looked up at her with a puzzled expression.

"By your reaction, I take it I'm right. I suppose you never considered that as a possibility." he chastised, making her feel even more embarrassed.

She put her head down, almost as if ashamed of her actions.

 _I_ _ntimate?_ _Why would he think that--_

She broke off from her thoughts, replaying all the things she said to him thus far, and how excited she was just being with him, and came to a dreadful realization.

Somewhere along their journey together...she got too close to him. She had been careless.

This was why she felt she was treading in dangerous territory everytime she interacted with him.

Feeling like a fool, she scolded herself for not being more careful.

 ** _Why had she let her guard_ _down so easily? Perhaps it was his friendly nature that disarmed her defenses immediately. Though, maybe this wasn't such a bad thing. In a way, he reminded her of her sworn brothers._**

He was just so easy going that she couldn't help but open up to him...even though it was a little too much as of late.

But now came the hard part, deciding what to do.

All too familiar with the trouble that feelings of this nature cause, she opted to suppress anything else she felt through her disciplined regiment of training.

 _I_ _t's best this way._ _I can't allow my mind to stray from my true reason for staying._ she argued in her head; Kakashi now staring at the suspiciously silent young woman in confusion.

"You alright over there?" he asked genuinely concerned, causing her to break away from her thoughts.

"Oh, uh yeah...I'm fine. Thanks for asking. But I might retire for the night. I'm kinda tired." she implored as she stood up, faking a yawn and stretching.

"I've been thinking..." he started, instantly catching Harata's attention.

"About what happened back there." he paused again, garnering even more curiosity from Harata.

She waited for him to continue, but it seemed like he couldn't find the right words.

 _B_ _ack_ _there...?_ she wondered as he stood up as well, turning to face her.

"That night you and I were alone; you said you saw everything... Then you hugged me. Why?" he questioned, refusing to break eye contact.

"I admit, it's been causing me to feel quite conflicted lately." he finally finished, leaving Harata feeling completely mortified from embarrassment.

She could feel her body start to tremble from being scared.

 ** _Shit...he's probably pissed. Maybe he only said it was fine at the time out of pity. He must really hate me now..._** the inexperienced young swordswoman's mind ran wild.

She never even thought about if it was okay to hug him or not, she just did.

Feeling as though she had it all figured out now, she prepared to apologize properly.

"Apologies. I didn't mean to offend you Hatake San. You seemed fairly troubled by your past, so I just did what my friend would do to me if I was upset. It always comforted me." she answered in her military commander tone, bowing on one knee.

A bit surprised by her response, Kakashi was at a loss for words for a second.

"No. I wasn't offended, in fact I quite enjoyed it. I was just a bit curious. Makes sense now. Though, I wanted to say _thank you_ again, for that time." he replied, trying to hide one of the reasons he really enjoyed that embrace.

"So she was just trying to comfort him? But she willingly let him rest his head on her lap too...she had to know how it might look if a woman and a man did that. Perhaps he was just overthinking it." he thought to himself.

Though, it was hard to not think that way when a woman voluntarily does something that kind.

At least that's what he picked up from reading Icha Icha Paradise all this time.

But, how might he react if it was something more?

"If I have to be totally honest though...I don't think I would mind if there was an ulterior meaning behind her actions..." he continued wondering to himself.

However, it was becoming increasingly hard to not think of her in that manner.

"Especially after accidentally seeing her na-" Kakashi stopped, once the image of her baring it all in front of him engraved itself into his head, as his face got a bit hot, making him laugh nervously.

"I also accidentally grabbed her-- Ahhh...I shouldn't be thinking like this...although... it was quite enjoyable..." he thought as he put his hand to his mouth, embarrassed at his lewd thoughts.

Just then, a gentle breeze swept over the both of them, drawing Kakashi back to the moment at hand.

"That's a relief. I thought you were mad at me. I'm glad it made you feel better." she eventually replied, as she stood up once more.

The sheer notion of knowing she was able to help him in any way was enough to make her overjoyed. She relished this moment.

Aiding him somehow made her feel special, a feeling which she didn't experience very often.

Though she couldn't deny it anymore...she had developed a very strong feeling of admiration for this man, and was surprisingly okay with admitting it to herself.

"I'm glad I met you..." she spoke up again before hopping down to the balcony of her room, and going inside, leaving Kakashi standing perplexed as to what she really meant by it.

Was she _flirting_ with him? He couldn't say for certain, but he knew who he could ask. Lost in his thoughts he hopped down to the ground, deciding to call it a night as well.


	17. Bathhouse Encounter

As the twilight sea of yellowish-white rays of sunlight seeped through the delicately crafted balcony door, a groggy Harata was greeted with a choir of birds merrily greeting the new day.

She turned over on her side, only to find that she had somehow become entangled in the sheets during the course of her slumber.

Struggling to remove them at first, she eventually managed to free herself of her cotton chains; getting up to stretch her arms and legs before walking over to the balcony door, and sliding it open to catch the fresh morning breeze.

The crisp, warm air felt so gentle as it softly blew across her face; lightly making her hair blow in the wind.

For awhile, she just let her mind wander aimlessly through random thoughts. Home, family, friends, fond memories, bonds broken, bonds forged...

 ** _Bonds forged..._**

Her mind seemed to settle on that one fleeting thought. It was boggling that she couldn't come to a conclusion of why she was dwelling on that specific thought, so she did her best to push it aside.

Though, there was something else plaguing her mind as well.

She was bored...very bored...

 _Guess that part of me hasn't really changed all that much at_ _all..._ she thought to herself with a mischievous smirk, as she looked out over the Leaf village; a small morning ritual she had now become accustomed to.

"Maybe I can just head into town, and wander around again. It was pretty entertaining when I did it before." she said to herself, as she turned to head back inside to get dressed.

Still in the white yukata she had dawned after her midnight bath, she changed into her regular attire and headed for the main lobby of the inn.

As she walked briskly out the doors with enthusiasm, Harata quickly gave a small nod and wave to the inn keeper's daughter who was managing the front, to which she returned the kind gesture.

* * *

Once outside, she took a moment to breathe in the fresh air, and feel the warm sun on her skin once more. Something she rarely did back home.

On her first outing in town, she had ventured pretty far, but hadn't gotten a chance to explore much else due to accompanying Kakashi and his squad on so many missions.

Somewhat excited, she walked the familiar path that lead into the heart of the village, observing everyone going about their own business.

Even though this was a base of operation basically for breeding assassins, she still couldn't believe how normal it seemed.

Wandering nowhere in particular she passed the ramen shop that Naruto often raved about, which made her chuckle and crack a smile; though she continued on her way.

Eventually she ended up at a building which she either hadn't noticed on her previous journey, or didn't get to yet. She looked it up and down, until she saw a couple people enter through the tall, wooden, fenced-in doors.

 _Wonder what this place is?_ she pondered in her head, until she heard a woman call out to her from behind.

"Excuse me, can I please get by you?" the young woman asked, holding what looked to be toiletries for bathing.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Harata replied apologetically, stepping aside so the young woman could enter.

And it was only then, that she noticed an old gentleman standing off to the side, greeting any who went inside the large wooden building.

Deciding to approach the elderly man, she bowed her head respectfully, and inquired about the structure standing before her.

"This might be a strange question, but what's this place for?" she asked inquisitively.

The sweet looking old man turned his aged face toward Harata and smiled.

"You're not from around here, are you young lady?" he questioned in a withered, but gruff voice.

Harata could only smile nervously and nod in agreement, as the elderly man chuckled slightly.

"No, I'm afraid I'm not sir." she replied with a kind smile, as the old man smiled warmly in response.

"Well, that's alright. And to answer your question, it's a public bathhouse. Open to everyone." he said, a warm hearted smile still plastered on his face.

"Open to everyone? Even an outsider like me?" she asked, half serious, making the old man look at her with a stern expression.

"Outsider? But you're inside of this village. Which makes you a part of Konoha in my book young one." the old man replied, patting her on the shoulder gently.

"A part of..." she trailed off, with a shaky whisper.

 _She had only been there for a couple of months. She had never even met this old man before...yet, he said she was...a part of Konoha..._ Harata mulled this over in her head a bit, feeling a sensation of sentiment wash over her suddenly.

Those simple words meant so much to her...

Even though she was forbid from using her powers, the feeling of being accepted...no matter where it was...left her feeling overwhelmed with joy.

"Th-thank you...so much..." Harata finally replied with an immense amount of gratitude.

The old man merely smiled warmly at her once again, as he took his hand from her shoulder.

"You're very welcome, young one. And you can just call me Hokuto. My wife and I run this old bathhouse here. It's a wonderful way to get to meet so many new people who pass through the village." Hokuto finished.

"I couldn't agree more. My name is Harata Idaku. It's a pleasure to meet you Hokuto san." Harata said, giving a deep bow out of respect.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you as well Harata. And no need for formalities, you just go on inside and mingle with the other youngsters." Hokuto replied as he ushered Harata inside gently.

"Oh- wait- ! How much is it for a bath?" she tried, but Hokuto just continued to usher her to the front, where an old woman sat behind the counter.

"It's your first time here, it's on the house for you young one." Hokuto said calmly as he hobbled up to the check-in desk with her.

"Mari, this kind young lady here is Harata. She's from out of town, so would you please waive the bathing fee for her?" Hokuto continued, as the cute old woman looked up with a sweet smile and nodded in compliance.

"There you are young miss. Enjoy your bath please. The women's changing room is down the hall to the right." the elderly woman whom Hokuto called Mari replied warmly.

Harata could only stand there in bewilderment, not used to such treatment. Even as royalty, she only got respect because of her bloodline and military career. So pleasantries of this nature were quite new to her.

"Well, go on now. You look like you've had a rough time of it. Please enjoy yourself." Hokuto chimed in as well.

"You'll find everything you need in the changing room. Towels, shampoo, soap, lotions, moisturizers...we have it all in there." Mari finally finished, as Harata smiled gratefully, and opted to comply with the sweet elderly couple's wishes.

"Thank you, really. I am truly in your debt." Harata replied with a deep bow, and friendly smile before heading off to get changed.

As soon as she stepped into the women's changing room, she noticed the beautifully scented aroma wafting all throughout the area. It smelled like fresh cherry blossoms with dew on them, and Jasmine.

The room itself was articulately crafted. Modest, yet still a touch of femininity. The wooden clad walls were magnificently garnished and the floors were decorated with daintily painted sugar plums.

It was such a serene atmosphere, that she nearly forgot about the bathing part. She undressed quickly, and grabbed two towels, some shampoo, and some of the Jasmine scented lotion, along with some rose scented soap.

She was quite impressed with the selection of scented toiletries, as she wrapped the first towel around her, and put her garb in one of the lockers available.

"This place must've been here awhile. The craftsmanship is aged, but sturdy." she said to herself as she walked into the women's bathing room.

As she entered, she could see a couple women in there already; and some with small children, washing them as well.

Moving around them carefully she spotted a vacant bath stall, and quickly occupied it, getting situated.

Turning on the water to start washing herself, she lathered up the soap, and began gently scrubbing her arms and face, before moving on to the rest of her body.

Once she finished washing her body, she moved onto shampooing her hair. Pouring the shampoo on her head, and lathering it gently, as she worked her hands through her thick, burgundy locks.

After a thorough scrub, she rinsed her whole body along with her hair, wrapped her towel back around her, while gathering her toiletries, and headed outside to the public open air bath.

Looking around, Harata could see a lot more people out in the open bath, as opposed to the bath stalls inside.

 _Everyone must be fairly comfortable with bathing around others..._ she thought to herself, while sitting her items off to the side, in a small corner so no one would mistakenly grab her things instead.

Now she just needed to find a spot to slip into. Which was easier said than done, until she noticed a fairly vacant spot by a gentleman with wash cloths sitting on his head.

Finding it a bit odd that this man was off by himself, with no one else trying to get close made her curious as she approached him.

"Um...excuse me? Apologies for bothering you, but do you mind if I join you?" she called out to him, as she slid into the water at a distance.

The sudden disturbance in the water appeared to have finally caused the man to turn around and face her.

Harata was a bit taken back by the man's face being wrapped with a wash cloth as well, and shifted away slightly in the water.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to react like that. I just wasn't expecting to see- nevermind. Nice to meet you, I'm Harata." she said apologetically, extending her hand.

The man seemed to stare at her with a blank expression, before looking to her hand, and accepting the handshake.

 _Well this is a bit awkward. I'll just leave the poor guy alone now. I guess he's trying to sweat out a cold or something._ _.._ Harata thought to herself as they let go of each other's hands.

"You have a nice day then sir." she said in as polite a tone as she could manage, desperately trying to mask her nervousness.

Though to her surprise, the man gave her a warm, almost angelic smile and waved as she stepped back, making her highly suspicious.

"Wait a minute...that...is that...? No, can't be..." she trailed off, becoming lost in thought. But deep in her heart, she knew something was offabout the strange man.


	18. Bathhouse Encounter Pt 2

Still observing the only other occupant in the small secluded corner, Harata hadn't even noticed that mostly everyone else had gotten out of the bath, except for two older men.

 _Why am I fixating on this guy so much? Geez, am I really that bored?_ she thought to herself, still silently watching from a distance.

Consumed by her wild imagination, she became completely oblivious to her surroundings; none the wiser that one of the older men had waded over to her.

"Hi there Miss." she suddenly heard from her right side, causing her to quickly come back to her senses, and turn in the direction of who was addressing her.

To her surprise, this guy, whom she had never seen around town before had cozied up to her, with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Uhhh...oh, hi. How's it goin?" she tried, immediately uncomfortable with how close he was to her.

Feeling as though he had hooked her into engaging him, the man started to inquire her name, drawing the attention of the younger guy Harata had been keeping an eye on.

"You passin through here gorgeous? I've never seen a beauty like you before round town." he asked, resting his arm around Harata's shoulders as if to make sure she couldn't escape.

"Oh I'm- " she started, but was interrupted by someone pulling her away from the desperate guy's grasp.

Blinking innocently, and unsure of what was going on, she looked behind her once she gathered her faculties, only to see the man who had the wash cloth wrapped around his face holding her protectively against him.

 _What the hell?! Why did he...?!!_ she screamed in her head, trying to rationalize what was happening; the older man staring down her savior with an annoyed look on his face now.

"Hey what's your problem man? I'm just tryin to be friendly. Why are yo- " the guy suddenly broke off, confusing Harata even more.

 _Why is he helping me? We don't even know each_ _other_... the baffled young woman wondered, as she stared up curiously at the mystery man helping her out again.

"O-okay man, I don't want any trouble!!!" the older guy said in a panicked tone, as he hurriedly got out of the bath so fast, his towel nearly fell off; the other middle aged guy following after him.

 _Wait what happened?_ she wondered, watching the older guys scurrying away.

Confused, she turned back to the man who intervened on her behalf.

"Thank you kindly sir..." she said in thanks, bowing her head respectfully.

The mysterious man merely looked down at her and smiled warmly, making her get slightly flustered.

 _T_ _hat smile...it seems so... familiar_ _._ Harata thought to herself.

However, she quickly forgot what she was thinking about upon realizing she was up against a man she didn't know in a public bath.

Embarrassed, she stepped away and turned to face him. A sneaking suspicion growing inside of her.

"U-um excuse me, but...have we met before?" she tried, as the man just smiled brightly at her again, and started moving toward the edge of the bath to get out.

"H-Hey wait!" Harata pleaded as she reached out to try and grab a hold of his arm...but ended up accidentally pulling the towel from around his waist off.

Not immediately registering what happened, the mysterious stranger stopped and turned around to face her, as Harata caught an eyeful of him causing her entire face to flush a deep red.

Even as extremely flustered as she was, she couldn't take her eyes off of his chiseled body. She had to admit, she liked what she saw, but she still felt really bad for pulling his towel off.

Try as she may, her eyes kept traveling up and down his entire body, as the bath water around her began to get even hotter, and started to boil.

As her eyes inspected every inch of this strange man, she unintentionally engraved every single detail into her mind.

She was around aesthetically pleasing men all the time back home...but she had never seen this much of a man before.

Finally noticing Harata's reaction, the man looked down to see his towel floating in the bath water, and slowly turned slightly red, as he calmly picked his towel out of the water.

Wrapping it back around his waist, he waved goodbye to Harata, this time holding on to his towel for dear life.

The wide eyed and flustered young woman could only watch this good looking stranger as he sauntered away back into the bathhouse.

Her mind was filled with nothing but images of his well built frame standing before her in all its bare glory.

She sat there for another twenty minutes, staring at the sliding door that the handsome man disappeared behind.

Eventually she got out, once the owner's daughter came out to check if anyone else was still in the bath.

"Oh my, I'm sorry! I-I didn't realize that anyone was still bathing!" the young woman said apologetically as she bowed repetitively, snapping Harata back to her senses.

"Huh- Oh! No no, that's fine! I've been in here too long anyway." Harata interjected, as she hurriedly got out of the bath, grabbed the items she left in the corner, and rushed inside.

* * *

Getting dressed quickly after she got back inside, Harata swiftly walked to the main entrance, bowing respectfully to the bathhouse owners before leaving.

Once outside, she looked around casually to see if she could spot anyone who resembled the man who helped her, but to no avail.

Sighing dejectedly at losing track of her bathhouse acquaintance, Harata decided to try and just continue on about her day; which consisted of wandering through the village aimlessly.

 _If we ever meet again, I'll thank him properly..._


	19. Innocent Curiosity

**By the time Kakashi returned, the early morning light had been replaced by the dim onset of dusk.**

Completely forgetting Harata was there, the tired jonin promptly removed his gear, and sat down on a small futon bed in his living room.

"Well today was quite interesting." he said to himself as he immediately reached for the treasures he picked up on his way back home.

"But at least I got my hands on the newest issue." he finished with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"I can't wait to read it!" he went on, gushing over his beloved novel, until he felt his stomach growl.

Putting a finger to his face in a thinking manner, he tried to recall if he'd actually eaten anything that day at all.

"Now that I think about it. I never did eat before I left." he eventually said as he got up to walk over to his kitchen, but to his surprise, the little bit of food he cooked for himself was gone.

"Wait...or did I eat it?" he thought aloud, getting a bit confused as he sighed in defeat.

"Guess I should've grabbed more groceries while I was out- " he broke off upon opening his refrigerator and seeing some cooked sashimi and miso soup, with rice sitting inside.

"Now where did this come from? I'm sure all I made was salmon." he questioned, growing even more suspicious.

"Hmm..." was all he said as he quietly pulled out his kunai, and walked to his room.

* * *

Upon entering, he noticed his bed was neatly made up, and lowered his kunai releasing a sigh of relief this time.

"I should probably start getting more sleep. I think I'm becoming a bit sleep deprived." he scolded himself, as he walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge.

Just as he was about to lay back across his bed, he noticed a golden gleam coming from his side table.

 _What's that?_ he wondered as he reached over to pick it up, realizing it was a necklace with a small, heart shaped locket attached to it.

"A necklace?" he said curiously, as he inspected the strange jewelry.

Eventually noticing a small clasp on the top of the locket, he unhooked and opened it, only to see two pictures framed inside.

The first one displaying two young girls standing together, and making goofy faces. The shorter of the two girls lovingly holding what looked to be a baby chick.

The second one was the two same girls smiling happily, and giving the peace sign, except there was a handsome young boy standing behind both of them patting their heads. All of them dressed in what looked like school uniforms.

The more he studied the two pictures however, it began to dawn on him that he actually recognized one of the girls.

"Isn't that...? Wait a minute..." he said in a moment of realization; but the sound of his shower turning off interrupted his thoughts.

Soon the bathroom door opened, as Harata came strolling out with a towel on, her hair wrapped up in another one.

Pulling the towel off of her head, she shifted some of her wet locks out of her face, and was ready to undo the towel around her body, until she noticed Kakashi sitting on his bed, causing her to jump back out of surprise, and fall over.

"Oh...I forgot you were here." he said casually, as he stood up, offering her his hand.

Still in a bit of shock, the frightened young woman merely took his hand, as he pulled her to her feet.

"I'm guessing you made that extra food then." he said as Harata attempted to slow her heartbeat and breathing enough to finally respond.

"Y-yeah...that was...me..." she managed through labored breaths.

"I see. And what about the food I cooked earlier?" he questioned, giving her an interrogative look.

"A-ate it...I...was really hungry...when I woke up again..." she replied, still holding her chest as her breathing began to return to normal.

"Oh. Good. So long as it didn't go to waste, that's fine with me." he said, easing up finally.

"N-no...it didn't. Don't worry...it was really good too. Thank you." she added, finally calming down.

"I had planned on eating that when I came back..." he mumbled quietly, thinking Harata didn't catch what he said.

"I figured as much. That's why I made more. I realized you didn't eat any yourself." she retorted, taking a seat on the opposite end of his bed.

"Oh? Paying that much attention to what I do?" he teased.

"Wh-what?! Hold on! I'm not paying any special attention to you!!" she shouted defensively, standing up quickly, and turning around to face him in a flustered manner.

"If you say so- " he stopped abruptly after turning his head to face her.

"Ahem...I'll...let you get dressed then." he merely said before turning his head away.

Confused by his sudden reaction, she failed to realize her towel had fallen off.

"Huh? What's with that reaction?" she asked as she reached for the towel around her body, but felt nothing there.

Wanting to reassure herself that she was still covered, she looked down at her exposed body, as a mortified expression formed on her face.

"That's why..." he said, already on his way out of his room, then returning a second later and tossing his long sleeved shirt over to her.

"Here. Just put this on for now." he said calmly before sliding his door shut.

"Oh...th-thank you..." she stammered, feeling like a complete idiot.

 _He'll_ _let_ _me go back to the inn for sure now right?_ she thought to herself as she slid his shirt on, feeling like she just put a nightgown on.

 _Geez, I never realized how much taller than me he was before.._ _._ she continued to let her mind wander, until she smelled the food she cooked earlier wafting into the room.

Becoming curious, she walked over to the bedroom doorway, and peeked out into the kitchen.

"Is he really gonna eat it?" she whispered to herself, as she walked out with a determined look, and watched him observantly.

She took note of Kakashi reheating the food with one hand, as he casually read his book with the other, making her eyes go wide with amazement.

"...amazing..." she unknowingly said out loud, practically gawking at how good he was at multi-tasking.

"What this? It's nothing really." he finally said, not shifting his gaze from his book.

Coming back to reality after spacing out, she realized what she said, and felt her face go red.

"Please...just forget I said anything..." she squeaked out meekly as she stood with her head down.

"Oh? Why?" he asked suddenly as he turned around, only for Harata to notice he was wearing an apron.

Unable to believe what she was seeing at first, she blinked a couple times to make sure she wasn't just seeing things.

"U-um...Hatake San..." she started, unsure of how to go about bringing up his kitchen attire of choice.

"Yes?" he answered nonchalantly with a blank look on his face, as if daring her to even think of insulting his apron.

This however was only how Harata perceived his expression.

"...Well...um...how to put this...your... that..." she trailed off, starting to tremble in fear a bit.

"Did you need something?" he tried again, confused as to what she was so afraid of.

Becoming too nervous to speak anymore, Harata simply went silent, hanging her head in defeat.

"Guess not." he said to himself, turning his attention back to his book, but couldn't help but notice how big his shirt was on her himself.

 _"Goodness, she's practically drowning in it. Maybe she'll grow more with time...Probably not...she's doomed to be short her whole life.."_ he thought, desperately trying to resist the urge to laugh.

Too lost in her own thoughts, Harata failed to notice Kakashi on the verge of laughing.

All she could think of was how the last thing she expected from a hardened assassin, was him to have such a _delicate_ looking apron.

 _Did...did somebody tell him that was for a guy? Who would be crazy enough to-- Naruto...? I don't know but it suits him for some reason! It totally seems like something he'd buy on his own_ _!!_ she argued back and forth in her head.

While she was having a mental crisis over the origins of Kakashi's apron, he had finished reheating the food, and sat down ready to eat.

Feeling too hungry to worry about revealing his face, he reached up to pull his mask down, but was met with staunch opposition from Harata once she noticed.

At a loss for words by this strange young woman literally diving onto the futon beside him, and grabbing his arm, he stopped and looked at her in amusement.

"Did you remember what you wanted to say finally?" he joked innocently.

Harata just stared up at him with a pure face of determined obliviousness.

"You can't show your face to anyone cause you're an assassin!" she said with eyes full of admiration.

"Oh? Is that so?" he played along, as Harata nodded her head _yes_ vigorously.

"Hmmm...not even to someone I trust?" he prodded.

Seeming to not expect that answer, she nodded her head _yes_ again, only a bit slower this time.

"Not even to someone I felt I could trust with my life?" he tried again, as Harata froze this time, but eventually started to loosen her grip on his arm.

"You shouldn't trust someone you don't really know." she scolded, as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

Baffled by her serious tone, Kakashi put his book down, and calmly countered her statement.

"I shouldn't? If I recall correctly...you trusted me on many different occasions without knowing what kind of person I was."

Looking as if she wanted to refute what he said, Harata opened her mouth, but said nothing.

"And if you're thinking you did something wrong, you didn't. You've given me no reason not to trust you. Don't be so hard on yourself." he continued, instinctively patting her head, much to her surprise.

She wanted to recoil from it at first, but it was too comforting for some reason. Unbeknownst to her however, tears had started to fall from her eyes.

 _"Wait...is she crying? Why?"_ he subconsciously worried, about to pull his hand away, afraid that might be upsetting her. But was taken aback when she grabbed his hand and held it gently on her head.

 ** _"...your heart is very kind..."_** was all she said, before releasing his hand, and moving to stand up, but was pulled into a warm embrace instead.

"So is yours...that's why I can trust you..." Kakashi replied, as he held her tight.

"Don't even think of fussing about this either. It's alright to cry sometimes...that's a sign of strength..." he went on, as she just allowed him to hold her, not attempting to struggle at all.

Hearing Kakashi's stomach growl after awhile, Harata felt bad, and looked up at him with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry...you should eat now." she said, getting extremely flustered as he reached up to dry her tears with his finger.

"Wha-what was that for?!" she jumped back in embarrassment.

"You were crying. I'm not so cold as to watch a woman cry and do nothing about it." he replied, knowing that response would calm her down.

"...true...you're a swee- " she broke off, preventing herself from finishing her statement.

Catching on to what she did, and being a bit curious, he tried coaxing her to reveal what she was going to say.

"Hmmmm...I'm a what?" he teased, as she hopped off of the futon, bowed, and moved across the room.

"Please enjoy your meal. Pretend I'm not even here." she said, turning to face the corner.

Chuckling to himself, Kakashi finally resigned to the fact that he wouldn't get an answer out of her, and focused his attention back to the food in front of him, and his book.

 _"She's still just too fun to tease..."_ he thought as he silently ate, and resumed reading his beloved novel.


	20. Sneaky Mischief

Once she was back in her room, Harata collapsed onto her bed feeling physically exhausted.

She knew what had just happened was an accident, but it wouldn't have been so bad if she hadn't said that to him.

"What the hell was I thinking?! I could've said anything else except that!" she scolded herself, burying her face in her pillow.

 _Why was it when it came to him, she couldn't keep her cool_ _?_ She wondered in silence, replaying the events in her head.

Though the more she thought about it, she realized it wasn't really that big of a deal. It was an accident. There was no need to feel ashamed.

"Okay, just act like you normally do. Besides, he'll probably forget about it anyway." she said to herself in a relieved tone, as she stretched out on the bed.

"I'm actually kinda tired for once. Maybe I'll take a little nap." she mumbled through a slight yawn, as she started nodding off.

The warm, sunlight hitting softly on her skin as she fell into a dreamlike slumber finally.

* * *

 **Hours had gone by, and it was now dark outside. Waking up sleepily, she looked up at the open sliding doors, as the cool night breeze blew through.**

 _Geez, I really need to stop leaving that open..._ she thought, as she got up off the bed; walking groggily over to the balcony area, and staring out at the night sky as if in a trance.

Sighing loudly, she allowed herself to sink her head and arms onto the railing.

She soon found herself lost in the throes of her mind again, thinking about what her next move should be.

It was...a bit inconvenient to only be able to travel outside the village while she was with Kakashi and his students. Maybe she could venture out on her own...just once. Just one time couldn't hurt, right?

Looking out at the stars gleaming in the night sky, she felt a very strong urge to sneak out, and began to climb over the railing, but stopped upon realizing she couldn't just stroll out.

"Well, I'd be spotted for sure if I was that careless. Teleport maybe? That should wor- " she broke off remembering Tsunade's orders.

"...Damn it...wait, the roof! No, they probably have other ninja patrolling the area especially at night. Shit!" she swore aloud, coming to terms that the only way to stealthily avoid detection would be to use her powers.

"Sorry for breaking my promise." she said to herself as she stepped back inside, slid the doors shut, and summoned the same fiery vortex from before.

"...just once...shouldn't hurt..." Harata said again as her body disappeared amongst the flames.

* * *

 **The brilliant luminescence that Harata's flames gave off could easily be seen from within the forest she teleported to.**

 _Well t_ _hat was easy. I was sure Hatake San would pop up from nowhere and stop me. But I guess even he actually rests sometimes._ she thought to herself as she started looking around.

"Okay, where to start..." she trailed off as she looked above her.

"Might get a more accurate beat on them if I'm higher." the brazen young woman mumbled before slowly ascending into the sky with her eyes closed so she could better focus.

"I need to know if I'm wasting my time here or not. If none of you are actually out there, then I'll leave. Miyake...Soohyeung...Setsuna... one of you...please just give me a sign..." she finished as she let off a large burst of flames into the dark night.

"If y'all can see that, you know what to d- " she broke off seeing a streak of lightning shoot off over the dark horizon.

"...no way..." was all she could say, as she excitedly made a beeline in the direction in which the sudden burst of power came from.

"It has to be...that energy was too familiar..." she said happily to herself as she let off another round of flames, this time in the direction she was headed.

This time a burst of abysmally dark energy shot off into the sky in response, making her even more hopeful.

"I'm on my way! Hold on!!" she hollered excitedly, a bit in complete disbelief at what just happened.

* * *

Upon reaching the area in which she gauged the waves came from, she descended back to the ground, and looked around fervently for any sign of her friends.

"Miyake!! Miyake! Setsuna!!! It's me Harata! Where are you guys?!!" she shouted, her head shooting in every direction so as to not miss them possibly.

"Miyake? Suna?! You guys- " she broke off upon feeling a tug on her kimono sleeve and turning around only to see the smallest of their group standing behind her.

"Se-Setsuna? Is- is that really you?" Harata asked softly, almost on the verge of tears, seeing a face she recognized; as the small figure merely nodded and tried to lead her deeper into the forest.

"Okay okay, I'm coming! Is this where Miyake's at?" Harata replied with a light hearted chuckle, as she followed what appeared to be her tiny companion further into uncharted territory.

"Setsuna? Why are you guys all the way out here? Didn't you all sense me nearby?" Harata tried, as the young girl continued to urge her forward.

"Is Miyake with you? What about Soohyeung? Is one of them injured?" Harata tried once again, but to no avail.

Finding it a bit odd that the young girl wouldn't speak she began to grow weary of the situation, but continued walking.

 _What's going on? I mean Setsuna's a strange child, but she at least responds when spoken to. Is she scared of something, or sad? Nah, she'd be crying if she was sad, and clinging to me if she was scared. What in the-- "_

Harata's thoughts were cut off by a firm hand grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the young girl in front of her.

"Who the fuck- ?!!" she yelled in anger, ready to fight whoever pulled on her arm so hard, until she looked over at who had pulled her away.

 _Hatake San? How'd he know where I was?! What is he doing her- oh shit...why do I feel dizzy...?_ she screamed in her head.

"... **That's not your friend**..."

Kakashi finally said, in an almost angered tone.

Hearing him speak like that honestly shook her a bit. He sounded genuinely mad, but she couldn't figure out why.

However, she didn't have much longer to think about why Kakashi was so upset, as she felt her body start to go limp.

She could hear someone call out her name, but wasn't sure who it was. Though this feeling...made her think of how careless she had been when her unit walked into the trap which sent her here in the first place.

She couldn't help but feel like a complete idiot for not learning anything at all from her past mistake.

 _Maybe this time I'll fade out of existence. Someone as inept as me shouldn't be leading anyone..._

Those were her last thoughts as her mind slipped into an unconscious state, and she finally passed out.


	21. Dreamlike

**_"_** ** _Hara? Hey Hara? You awake yet? Come on, get up already! You've been out for two days!"_** suddenly came a voice from seemingly nowhere.

"Mmhh...hmm..? Soo-hyeung? Is that you?" Harata replied on instinct.

 ** _"Really Hara? You don't recognize my voice? Geez! We've been friends since highschool!"_** the voice replied sounding a bit frustrated now.

Deciding it had to be someone close enough to refer to her by nickname, she continued to respond.

"Sorry. I'm just really tired. I had a really weird dream too." Harata replied finally as she tried sitting up.

 ** _"Heh heh, it's okay. I'm only teasing you. I'm just glad you're okay. I was really worried you kno- Hey! Lay back down! Your body is still too weak."_** the female voice ordered in a maternal tone.

"Oh, right. Sorry...wait my body's too weak? What do you mean? What happened?" Harata asked, clearly confused by what was going on.

 ** _"Well...you managed to inhale an exorbitant amount of miasma; which caused you to start hallucinating. Why were you out that far alone anyway? Didn't I tell you not to go anywhere without me?"_**

"Huh? Miasma? What's that? And what are you talking about? When did you say that to me?" Harata inquired, getting even more confused than she previously was.

 ** _"Miasma is like a toxic gas so to speak. And I told you back when we first met. Don't leave my side. How else am I going to protect you?"_**

"Toxic gas?" she questioned, unable to discern where she even was.

 ** _"Yes toxic gas. Just lay there. And don't fuss about anything. I'll just take you to the hospital in the morning."_**

 _What the hell- ?! Again?!_ Harata yelled in her head, then responded to what appeared to be Soohyeung talking to her.

"Wait a minute. Protect me? Why would you need to do that?" she questioned.

 ** _"Because I promised I would. But I guess you don't remember that. Regardless, please just stay put this time."_**

"I'll be fine, but when did you promise this? And why can't you just heal me?" Harata retorted, still feeling like she missed something.

 ** _"Heal you? I'm not a miracle worker. The stuff you inhaled is more dangerous than that paralyzing agent you dealt with before."_**

"Oh, I see. But what about- " she stopped upon realizing that her friend mentioned the fishing village incident.

"Wait a minute...Soohyeung...how do you know about that? That was part of the weird dream I had..."

 ** _"Dream? Good grief, the damage is worse than I thought..."_** the voice trailed off suddenly.

Baffled as to why her friend was acting so strange, she tried to inquire once more about what happened.

"Wait, so you're saying that wasn't a dream?" she questioned sternly.

 ** _"A dream? No it wasn't. I was there. It was very much real."_**

"You were there? When? I don't recall you being there at all. I was there with some kids around Akira's age and their sensei. It was a fishing village. Kinda reminded me of the Celestial village, except a lot smaller." Harata replied assuredly.

 ** _"Really? Guess I heard you wrong. So tell me, what happened in this dream then."_**

Hesitating for a moment, she tried her best to remember all the events leading up to now.

"This...might sound crazy but...it had to do with a village full of nothing but ninja..." Harata started.

 ** _"That is weird, but please go on. I'm quite curious now."_**

"Oh okay. Well, we were helping the villagers fight off some assholes who kept raiding their home. They were all very kind folk. But the highlight was- ah forget it." Harata continued, then paused again.

 ** _"Highlight? What do you mean by that?_** ** _"_**

Hesitant to reveal what her favorite part of the journey was, she thought about how to carefully convey this without it being misconstrued in any way possible.

"The most relaxing part was hanging out with the kids' teacher on the roof. We both kinda bonded over being in positions of leadership. But it was very nice just chatting with him. He's very chill." Harata finished, waiting for her friend to respond.

 ** _"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. And this 'sensei' sounds like a pretty cool guy."_**

"Cool is an understatement. I'd say he's on Master Yun Chang's level. Just not naive like he is." Harata finished with a slight smile and chuckle.

 ** _"Hmmmm...sounds like you think pretty highly of this guy."_**

Hearing this, Harata stopped to think for a moment.

 _I_ _think highly of him huh? I guess that's accurate. But he deserves every ounce of that respect..._ she thought to herself, then finally replied to her friend.

"I think...it goes beyond just thinking highly of him honestly..." she answered.

 ** _"Goes beyond? How so?"_**

"Well, I like being around him a lot. I get kinda bummed when I'm not with him. He gets a kick out of scaring me shitless, but I think that's kind of endearing. He's definitely mischievous. Just the other day we accidentally-- " Harata suddenly stopped, feeling flustered for some reason.

 ** _"Really now? You like being around him that much? And what happened the other day?"_**

"I- well...um...I almost fell...but he caught me in his arms, and ended up breaking my fall..."

 ** _"Oh that was nice of him. I'm sure he didn't want you to get hurt."_**

"But he knows I'm not completely human. A little fall won't hurt me. But even still he caught me. I'll admit...I felt safe being held like that. He's really strong." Harata went on, feeling her face flush more.

 ** _"Maybe he just reacted without thinking?"_**

"Him? React without thinking? That's funny. He's too sharp for that. He can read people like an open book." Harata finished with a slight chuckle.

 ** _"So you think he's that intuitive? He seems like he could be a bit absent-minded to be honest."_**

"Absent-minded? Probably. But everyone has their quirks. Besides, his awkwardness is kind of adorable. He's a truly special person." Harata replied almost defensively.

 ** _"He's...special to you?_** ** _"_**

"Yeah he is. So is everyone else I've met there so far. But he especially went out of his way to help me. Even when he didn't need to."

 ** _"Did he? Well...maybe you should tell him that...I'm sure he'd appreciate it greatly."_**

"Nah that's too embarrassing... Besides, I'm sure his friends tell him that all the time." Harata replied immediately.

 ** _"Too embarrassing? Awww...well I still think he'd appreciate hearing it from_** ** _you_** ** _."_**

"You really think so?" she said in an unsure tone.

 ** _"I'm positive. Poor guy probably doesn't think he is. But he sounds like a sweetheart."_**

"Swee- yeah, heh, I think that'd describe him fairly well." Harata agreed, thinking of how kindly he treated his squad.

 ** _"I wonder though...what would you do if he ever ended up holding you in his arms again?"_**

 _Ever ended up holding her in his arms again_ _?_ _Why would she ask such a weird question?_ she pondered in her head.

"I guess I'd let him if it was necessary, but he'd have no reason to do that, so it doesn't really matter." she replied nonchalantly.

 ** _"Oh? Wouldn't be a reason?"_**

"No there wouldn't be. Why are you so focused on that anyway?" Harata questioned.

 ** _"No reason in particular. But_** ** _Hara... be straight with me..."_**

"Huh? Ummm okaaay...? What is it?"

 ** _"Do you have more than just feelings of admiration for him?"_**

"More than just feelings of admiration? Where'd that come from?" a baffled Harata asked.

 ** _"Please, just give me an answer. I think you need to think about it yourself too. But...w_** ** _hat if he feels that way about you?_** ** _"_**

"Okay- no...I don't. And I assure you he wouldn't develop trivial feelings like that." Harata tried.

 ** _"_** ** _Not even just a slight chance?_** ** _"_**

"No not even a slight chance either. So just drop it please."

 ** _"Ooookay. But honestly, he sounds like the perfect guy for you."_**

"Perfect guy? Yeah I'd say so. But I wouldn't stand a chance with him." Harata finished.

 ** _"I see. Well this has been very insightful. Why don't you get some rest now? You could definitely use it."_**

"Oh...thanks." she replied triumphantly, feeling as though she'd finally gotten her point across, as she felt her eyes getting very heavy.

 ** _"Just so you know...you're wrong...I know he'd love to settle down. He just needs to find the right one..."_**

* * *

The bright sunlight filled the small room, as Harata began to stir in her sleep. Though once she woke up finally, she realized she was in an unfamiliar setting.

 _Huh_ _? Where...am I?_ she wondered silently to herself.

It didn't look as if she was in a hospital, but it still was pretty inviting. Also rather tidy. But she didn't recognize this place at all. It definitely wasn't the inn she had been staying at.

"Where...?! Where the hell am I?!" she shouted abruptly, then froze upon hearing someone step inside the room she was in.

Feeling apprehensive, she turned around slowly only to see a very dressed down Kakashi with his arms folded, standing in the doorway.

"Oh, you're awake?" he calmly asked, studying her carefully.

"Hatake San?! Why are you here?!" she shouted in shock at seeing him outside of his normal instructor gear.

"Why am I here? Well...I live here. Unless I got the wrong house again. But I'm pretty sure I live here." he answered in a half joking tone.

"Live? You...live here...? I...see..." she stammered, feeling so confused, yet ashamed.

"I apologize if it's not to your liking, but it was fairly late when I found you, so I just brought you back here." he replied, noticing the look on her face.

"Oh no! I...I'm in your debt! Again! It's just...I...can't remember what happened..." she corrected, hoping he would tell her like before.

"Well, you snuck out against Lady Tsunade's orders, and went too deep into the forest. You came under the influence of a very strong hallucinogen. You were trying to follow after something, but I stopped you, and after you collapsed, I carried you back to my place. I was too tired to go anywhere else, but you would've gotten lost if I wasn't tailing you." he finally finished.

In complete disbelief, Harata just sat there staring at nothing for a while, attempting to process how she could've been so stupid.

 _Why did I do something that ridiculous?_ _Not to mention in the process of my sheer stupidity, I inconvenienced Hatake San._..she scolded herself silently.

"Are you- " he started, but was cut off by Harata.

"Apologies..." she interrupted abruptly.

"That was...very stupid of me to do. I understand the consequences. I have to leave right?" she continued, not wanting to look him in the eye.

Suddenly she heard him chuckling, and looked up confused.

"What's so funny? Did I say something weird?" she tried as he regained his composure.

"No...sorry. It's just how serious you were...I couldn't help but laugh. I'm terribly sorry." he said apologetically, as her face went blank.

"So I don't have to leave?" she asked pleadingly.

"Not unless you want to. But you'll have to eventually once you find your friends right? That's why you snuck out last night, correct?" he interrogated, as she put her head down dejectedly.

"...yeah..." she mumbled, feeling even more ashamed than before.

"Lady Tsunade didn't put that restriction on you only to protect the village. We have enemies. She did it to keep you safe as well. But don't worry, I won't say anything. I'm sure she knew you would do that sooner or later. That's why she assigned me to keep an eye on you all the time." he finally explained.

 _Wait what? So she trusts me? It wasn't because she thought I'd try attacking them? As if I'd be able to defeat a bunch of assassins anyway..._ she thought to herself.

Then she felt the edge of the bed get weighed down, breaking her train of thought as she looked over to see Kakashi sitting down.

"I should get off your bed so you can rest then..." she said suddenly, scrambling to get up, but immediately falling back down.

"I'm actually on my way out. And your body's still too weak from breathing in that gas, so just stay put. Don't fuss or you sleep on the floor." he warned, as she sunk into his pillow, nodding her head compliantly.

"I'm going to take a bath. Then I'll be heading out. I made some food if you get hungry. You can eat and take a bath once you're feeling up to it." he said, grabbing his headband off the side table by his bed.

"And one more thing..." he started, as Harata gave him her undivided attention.

"Don't even think of trying to leave. I expect you to still be here when I get back. I'll grab your things from the inn." he said as he turned and walked out of the room.

All she could do was lay there in silence and obediently agree to his rules. It was her fault anyway. He probably didn't trust her to stay by herself anymore. Not that she could blame him.

"Gas huh? I really should've paid more attention when we learned about that in the academy..." she said to herself, as she glanced around his room, her eyes coming to rest on a strange looking mask hanging on his wall.

 _What is that? It's kinda creepy. No chance in hell I'd have a cursed looking mask like that hangin in my room._ she thought as her eyes came to rest on a picture of Kakashi as a kid, along with two other kids, and an adult.

"He wore that even as a kid? That's dedication. Wait, why the does that guy look like Naruto? Guess that was his sensei." she said through a yawn, feeling her eyes get heavy again.

"Maybe, I'll just...rest for a little longer..." she mumbled through another yawn.

But upon feeling her necklace poking her in the chin, she lazily took it off and set it on the side table by Kakashi's bed, before nodding off to sleep again.


	22. Playful Antics

**By the time Kakashi returned, the early morning light had been replaced by the dim onset of dusk.**

Completely forgetting Harata was there, the tired jonin promptly removed his gear, and sat down on a small futon bed in his living room.

"Well today was quite interesting." he said to himself as he immediately reached for the treasures he picked up on his way back home.

"But at least I got my hands on the newest issue." he finished with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"I can't wait to read it!" he went on, gushing over his beloved novel, until he felt his stomach growl.

Putting a finger to his face in a thinking manner, he tried to recall if he'd actually eaten anything that day at all.

"Now that I think about it. I never did eat before I left." he eventually said as he got up to walk over to his kitchen, but to his surprise, the little bit of food he cooked for himself was gone.

"Wait...or did I eat it?" he thought aloud, getting a bit confused as he sighed in defeat.

"Guess I should've grabbed more groceries while I was out- " he broke off upon opening his refrigerator and seeing some cooked sashimi and miso soup, with rice sitting inside.

"Now where did this come from? I'm sure all I made was salmon." he questioned, growing even more suspicious.

"Hmm..." was all he said as he quietly pulled out his kunai, and walked to his room.

* * *

Upon entering, he noticed his bed was neatly made up, and lowered his kunai releasing a sigh of relief this time.

"I should probably start getting more rest. I think I'm becoming a bit sleep deprived." he scolded himself, as he walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge.

Just as he was about to lay back across his bed, he noticed a golden gleam coming from his side table.

 _What's that?_ he wondered as he reached over to pick it up, realizing it was a necklace with a small, heart shaped locket attached to it.

"A necklace?" he said curiously, as he inspected the strange jewelry.

Eventually noticing a small clasp on the top of the locket, he unhooked and opened it, only to see two pictures framed inside.

The first one displaying two young girls standing together, and making goofy faces. The shorter of the two girls lovingly holding what looked to be a baby chick.

The second one was the two same girls smiling happily, and giving the peace sign, except there was a handsome young boy standing behind both of them patting their heads. All of them dressed in what looked like school uniforms.

The more he studied the two pictures however, it began to dawn on him that he actually recognized one of the girls.

"Isn't that...? Wait a minute..." he said in a moment of realization; but the sound of his shower turning off interrupted his thoughts.

Soon the bathroom door opened, as Harata came strolling out with a towel on, her hair wrapped up in another one.

Pulling the towel off of her head, she shifted some of her wet locks out of her face, and was ready to undo the towel around her body, until she noticed Kakashi sitting on his bed, causing her to jump back out of surprise, and fall over.

"Oh...I forgot you were here." he said casually, as he stood up, offering her his hand.

Still in a bit of shock, the frightened young woman merely took his hand, as he pulled her to her feet.

"I'm guessing you made that extra food then." he said as Harata attempted to slow her heartbeat and breathing enough to finally respond.

"Y-yeah...that was...me..." she managed through labored breaths.

"I see. And what about the food I cooked earlier?" he questioned, giving her an interrogative look.

"A-ate it...I...was really hungry...when I woke up again..." she replied, still holding her chest as her breathing began to return to normal.

"Oh. Good. So long as it didn't go to waste, that's fine with me." he said, easing up finally.

"N-no...it didn't. Don't worry...it was really good too. Thank you." she added, finally calming down.

"I had planned on eating that when I came back..." he mumbled quietly, thinking Harata didn't catch what he said.

"I figured as much. That's why I made more. I realized you didn't eat any yourself." she retorted, taking a seat on the opposite end of his bed.

"Oh? Paying that much attention to what I do?" he teased.

"Wh-what?! Hold on! I'm not paying any special attention to you!!" she shouted defensively, standing up quickly, and turning around to face him in a flustered manner.

"If you say so- " he stopped abruptly after turning his head to face her.

"Ahem...I'll...let you get dressed then." he merely said before turning his head away.

Confused by his sudden reaction, she failed to realize her towel had fallen off.

"Huh? What's with that reaction?" she asked as she reached for the towel around her body, but felt nothing there.

Wanting to reassure herself that she was still covered, she looked down at her exposed body, as a mortified expression formed on her face.

"That's why..." he said, already on his way out of his room, then returning a second later and tossing his long sleeved shirt over to her.

"Here. Just put this on for now." he said calmly before sliding his door shut.

"Oh...th-thank you..." she stammered, feeling like a complete idiot.

 _He'll_ _let_ _me go back to the inn for sure now right?_ she thought to herself as she slid his shirt on, feeling like she just put a nightgown on.

 _Geez, I never realized how much taller than me he was before.._ _._ she continued to let her mind wander, until she smelled the food she cooked earlier wafting into the room.

Becoming curious, she walked over to the bedroom doorway, and peeked out into the kitchen.

"Is he really gonna eat it?" she whispered to herself, as she walked out with a determined look, and watched him observantly.

She took note of Kakashi reheating the food with one hand, as he casually read his book with the other, making her eyes go wide with amazement.

"...amazing..." she unknowingly said out loud, practically gawking at how good he was at multi-tasking.

"What this? It's nothing really." he finally said, not shifting his gaze from his book.

Coming back to reality after spacing out, she realized what she said, and felt her face go red.

"Please...just forget I said anything..." she squeaked out meekly as she stood with her head down.

"Oh? Why?" he asked suddenly as he turned around, only for Harata to notice he was wearing an apron.

Unable to believe what she was seeing at first, she blinked a couple times to make sure she wasn't just seeing things.

"U-um...Hatake San..." she started, unsure of how to go about bringing up his kitchen attire of choice.

"Yes?" he answered nonchalantly with a blank look on his face, as if daring her to even think of insulting his apron.

This however was only how Harata perceived his expression.

"...Well...um...how to put this...your... that..." she trailed off, starting to tremble in fear a bit.

"Did you need something?" he tried again, confused as to what she was so afraid of.

Becoming too nervous to speak anymore, Harata simply went silent, hanging her head in defeat.

"Guess not." he said to himself, turning his attention back to his book, but couldn't help but notice how big his shirt was on her himself.

 _"Goodness, she's practically drowning in it. Maybe she'll grow more with time...Probably not...she's doomed to be short her whole life.."_ he thought, desperately trying to resist the urge to laugh.

Too lost in her own thoughts, Harata failed to notice Kakashi on the verge of laughing.

All she could think of was how the last thing she expected from a hardened assassin, was him to have such a _delicate_ looking apron.

 _Did...did somebody tell him that was for a guy? Who would be crazy enough to-- Naruto...? I don't know but it suits him for some reason! It totally seems like something he'd buy on his own_ _!!_ she argued back and forth in her head.

While she was having a mental crisis over the origins of Kakashi's apron, he had finished reheating the food, and sat down ready to eat.

Feeling too hungry to worry about revealing his face, he reached up to pull his mask down, but was met with staunch opposition from Harata once she noticed.

At a loss for words by this strange young woman literally diving onto the futon beside him, and grabbing his arm, he stopped and looked at her in amusement.

"Did you remember what you wanted to say finally?" he joked innocently.

Harata just stared up at him with a pure face of determined obliviousness.

"You can't show your face to anyone cause you're an assassin!" she said with eyes full of admiration.

"Oh? Is that so?" he played along, as Harata nodded her head _yes_ vigorously.

"Hmmm...not even to someone I trust?" he prodded.

Seeming to not expect that answer, she nodded her head _yes_ again, only a bit slower this time.

"Not even to someone I felt I could trust with my life?" he tried again, as Harata froze this time, but eventually started to loosen her grip on his arm.

"You shouldn't trust someone you don't really know." she scolded, as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

Baffled by her serious tone, Kakashi put his book down, and calmly countered her statement.

"I shouldn't? If I recall correctly...you trusted me on many different occasions without knowing what kind of person I was."

Looking as if she wanted to refute what he said, Harata opened her mouth, but said nothing.

"And if you're thinking you did something wrong, you didn't. You've given me no reason not to trust you. Don't be so hard on yourself." he continued, instinctively patting her head, much to her surprise.

She wanted to recoil from it at first, but it was too comforting for some reason. Unbeknownst to her however, tears had started to fall from her eyes.

 _"Wait...is she crying? Why?"_ he subconsciously worried, about to pull his hand away, afraid that might be upsetting her. But was taken aback when she grabbed his hand and held it gently on her head.

 ** _"...your heart is very kind..."_** was all she said, before releasing his hand, and moving to stand up, but was pulled into a warm embrace instead.

"So is yours...that's why I can trust you..." Kakashi replied, as he held her tight.

"Don't even think of fussing about this either. It's alright to cry sometimes...that's a sign of strength..." he went on, as she just allowed him to hold her, not attempting to struggle at all.

Hearing Kakashi's stomach growl after awhile, Harata felt bad, and looked up at him with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry...you should eat now." she said, getting extremely flustered as he reached up to dry her tears with his finger.

"Wha-what was that for?!" she jumped back in embarrassment.

"You were crying. I'm not so cold as to watch a woman cry and do nothing about it." he replied, knowing that response would calm her down.

"...true...you're a swee- " she broke off, preventing herself from finishing her statement.

Catching on to what she did, and being a bit curious, he tried coaxing her to reveal what she was going to say.

"Hmmmm...I'm a what?" he teased, as she hopped off of the futon, bowed, and moved across the room.

"Please enjoy your meal. Pretend I'm not even here." she said, turning to face the corner.

Chuckling to himself, Kakashi finally resigned to the fact that he wouldn't get an answer out of her, and focused his attention back to the food in front of him, and his book.

 _"She's still just too fun to tease..."_ he thought as he silently ate, and resumed reading.


	23. Childhood Memories

As Harata sat facing the corner, she reached toward her neck to play with her necklace out of boredom, but couldn't feel the familiar cold of metal against her skin.

Not thinking anything of it at first, she just assumed that it got tucked underneath the collar of Kakashi's shirt when she put it on, though she didn't feel it upon reaching inside the shirt.

Then she remembered she never put it back on after waking up, or taking a shower.

Becoming slightly panicked, she stood up abruptly and ran off to Kakashi's room, drawing his attention briefly.

 _"Bathroom?"_ he thought, his leg crossed over the other as he calmly continued reading.

* * *

Inside Kakashi's room, she noticed her necklace was no longer sitting on the side table, and got a bit more worried.

 _Where is it?! I know I left it here before I fell asleep...I think...no...no...please...it's gotta be in here somewhere!!_ she screamed in her head, as she checked under his bed as well.

"I know I left it there...so where is it...?" she said softly, internally freaking out even more.

She walked back into the bathroom to see if she might've left it in there, but to no avail.

"The kitchen maybe?" she mumbled, as she scurried out into the kitchen to check for her necklace, but didn't find it there either.

"Then where...where the hell did it go?!" she whispered in an exasperated tone, starting to get upset again.

Noticing her moving back and forth, he eventually called out to her, not lifting his head from his book.

"Something wrong?" he asked finally; Harata looking like she was on the brink of a mental breakdown.

"H-huh? Sorry what'd you say?" she replied, getting down on her knees to check beneath the futon.

Sighing, he closed his book and shifted his gaze down toward her, as she felt around the floor.

"Is something wrong? You keep running all over the place." he repeated, curious as to what she was doing.

"Oh, uh..." she broke off, getting up on her knees, and lifting up the futon cushion now.

"Care to finish that thought?" Kakashi prodded, hoping she would focus for one second.

"What about a dog?" she replied back, completely distracted by searching for her necklace.

 _"She's not even listening...guess I'll have to do this the hard way then..."_ he thought to himself, standing up.

The sudden sensation of being picked up by her waist was more than enough to snap her back to reality, as she blinked in a confused manner.

"Junkai? What're you-- " she stopped abruptly, upon realizing it was Kakashi who lifted her up.

"Wait...you're not Junkai..." she said nonchalantly, as Kakashi sat her down on the futon and stood before her.

"No, I'm not. Whoever that is...but now that I have your attention- is there some reason you're tearing through my home?" he inquired.

"Tearing through? Wait what'd I do?" she asked obliviously, her eyes darting past him to the corner she was sitting in a little while ago.

 _"Good grief, her attention span's as bad as Naruto's..."_ the tired looking shinobi thought, as he grabbed hold of her face, and forced her to focus on him.

"You're destroying my place. Why?" he slowly repeated.

As Kakashi's words sunk in finally, Harata's eyes focused on him only.

"Oh...I'm sorry...I'll clean it up..." she said solemnly, making Kakashi sigh again.

"I'm not upset, just please tell me what the problem is. I was at a really good part in this chapter." he said pleadingly.

Hearing the desperation in his voice, she felt it was only fair to tell him why she was acting like that.

"...my necklace..." she mumbled.

"Pardon?" Kakashi immediately replied.

"My necklace...I...can't find it..." she spoke up louder this time.

"Necklace? Where'd you have it last?" he asked, as she started fidgeting.

"No. Stay put until you remember when you last saw it." he ordered, making Harata comply instantly.

"Sir, Yes Sir!" she yelled firmly without thinking, surprising Kakashi, as he let go of her face, a bit confused.

"Well, no need to be so formal. I'm not your superior." he reminded, bringing Harata back to her senses.

"Oh sorry...guess my military training kicked in." she confessed bluntly.

"What...? I...can't tell if you're joking or not...weren't you just upset about losing your necklace?" he questioned, feeling like she was pranking him.

"Was I? Wait my necklace is lost?! But I left it on that little table by your bed before I went to sleep. Unless it fell somehow...?" she said, rendering Kakashi speechless.

"Hey, you okay?" Harata asked curiously, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Huh? Oh yes, I'm fi- " he went silent suddenly, remembering how he picked it up earlier to look at it.

"Oh okay, good. You had me worried for a second." she replied with a skeptical look on her face.

"You sure you're alright? You're sweating an awful lot." she interrogated.

"Sweating? Must be your imagination." he countered, as her suspicious gaze faded into an oblivious one.

"Oh, my apologies then." she said naively, making Kakashi feel a bit bad.

 _"She's...too gullible...she believes anything she's told. No wonder I don't feel comfortable leaving her by herself. She'd probably end up getting kidnapped..."_ he worried subconsciously, as he stooped down in front of her.

Reaching inside his right pocket, he could feel the beveled shape of something metal with a chain attached to it, and pulled it out.

Realizing he absent-mindedly stuck it in his pocket when she came out of the bathroom before, he gave a friendly smile as he presented her treasured necklace to her.

"Might this be what you're looking for?" he questioned in a gentle tone, as her face lit up.

"Where'd you find it?!! I was sure I lost it somewhere else!" she squealed with delight, as Kakashi handed it back to her.

"Well...there's a funny story behind that..." he said with a guilty, sheepish look on his face, but was tackled to the floor without warning.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" she beamed, hugging the bewildered jonin tightly.

"I'll do anything to repay you! Just name it!!" she continued, as she looked up at him with a childlike happiness in her eyes.

Unable to stay silent any longer, Kakashi merely patted her head, and gave her a warm smile, as she blinked innocently.

"You're quite the unpredictable one. Don't worry about repaying me. You already cooked dinner. That's enough." he said in a gentle manner.

"You liked it? I have an idea then! I'll cook for you everyday!" she replied with a look of sheer bliss.

"You don't have to- " he tried, but was shut down by the excited young swordswoman.

"Make a fuss about it, and I'll jump on you every morning to wake you up instead." she quickly cut him off.

"Since you put it that way..." he chuckled nervously, knowing she wasn't joking about the second option.

"Good! It's the least I can do after everything you've done for me." she countered.

"I haven't done anything special. But I'm really grateful you feel that way." Kakashi said modestly, making Harata frown up.

"Haven't done anything special? Are you aware of how many times you saved my ass? I'm the one who hasn't done anything to help you. So cooking for you is the least I can do." she corrected.

Pausing for a moment to take in her words, he simply smiled warmly at her.

"I don't expect anything in return when it comes to a life. You only get one. It should be protected with care." he explained, as Harata listened intently.

"I'm not doing this out of obligation, but because I've wanted to find some way to repay your kindness for a while now. So this is perfect!" she said eagerly.

After thinking of how nice it'd be to have someone else preparing meals for him, he gave in and agreed.

"If that's what you really want to do. But you know that would require you to stay here, right?" he questioned, knowing she hadn't thought it through.

"Yeah I-- wait...here...? At your place?" she mirrored back.

"I had a feeling you didn't think about that aspect. How about you hold off on repaying me, since you're so adamant to do so." he suggested, as he started to sit up, making Harata get up off of him.

"Ha, my bad. I didn't hurt you did I?" she asked apologetically, rubbing the back of her head.

"Hurt? It would take far more than that to hurt me." he reassured, as Harata bowed deeply, still feeling bad for jumping on him.

"Oh good. Sorry again, guess I got a bit too excited." she added nervously.

"That's fine, I understand why." he said without thinking.

"You do? Well I'm glad then." she replied with a mischievous grin.

"Because this is something I greatly treasure. My best friend Soohyeung bought it for me as a symbol of our sisterhood and friendship. The broken hearts represent all the trials we both overcame in our lives...

...she has a matching red locket on her choker with the same pictures of us inside." Harata continued, coveting the golden necklace in her palms.

"Goodness, I figured there was a history behind it, but I didn't realize it meant that much." Kakashi replied upon hearing her finish.

As it set in just how much she had said, Harata immediately stopped talking.

Noticing her sudden silence, Kakashi stared at her in utter confusion.

"Is there a problem?" he inquired, rather puzzled by her random mood swings.

"Oh no, sorry...just thinking." she lied.

Sighing and standing up, Kakashi reached over to grab his dishes and take them to the kitchen.

 _"She's terrible at lying. I hope she knows that..."_ he thought as he turned the faucet on, and prepared to wash the plate and bowl he ate out of, until Harata came running over.

"Wait! I'll do it! I dirtied them up anyway!" she said with a determined look on her face, making Kakashi pause and stare at her with a baffled expression again.

"You don't have to clean up after me too." he tried, but was opposed by Harata.

"I dirtied them up. I should clean them. You go rest and enjoy your book." she retorted in the best motherly tone she could muster.

"No really, it's oka- " he started but stopped again upon seeing Harata's determined face.

"Alright, I'll let you handle it. But it won't be too much will it?" he double checked.

"Course not! I work at a restaurant as a chef back home, so I'm used to this!" Harata said gleefully, as she rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to her shoulders.

"Oh? Really? Well I expect nothing but top tier quality cuisine now." he teased.

"No problem!" Harata replied immediately with an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Hold on, it was a joke. You don't have to do that." he admitted, hoping she would back down.

"Hmm? Oh I know, but I don't mind." she said with a warm smile, as she washed the dishes.

Silently accepting her answer, he simply returned to the living room, sat down, and resumed reading.

 _"If that's what she wants to do..."_ was all he thought as he got lost in his book once more.


	24. Secrets Revealed

After finishing the current chapter he was on, Kakashi decided to head to the bath, unbeknownst to a distracted Harata who was busy cleaning.

 _"A nice shower, then I'll get some shut eye I guess..."_ he pondered on his way to the bathroom, but upon entering noticed Harata left fresh towels sitting on the sink.

"Did she do laundry too while I was gone? That was considerate." he said to himself as he got undressed, thinking of how strange it was to have someone else in his house.

He was so used to being alone, that Harata's presence was a nice change of pace. She certainly was lively enough to keep him on his toes.

 _"Never a dull moment with that one."_ he thought as the water hit his face.

* * *

Back out in the living room, Harata finally noticed that Kakashi was no longer out there with her.

"Huh...guess I was making too much noise for him. Must've went to his room. I'll apologize if he comes back out of hibernation later on." she joked, snickering sheepishly.

"Dammit...now I'm picturing him as a bear...wait he clearly likes salmon a lot...maybe..." she broke off as her wild imagination took over, turning Kakashi into a bear-man hybrid in her head.

"He would have that same blank expression too...Ka-kuma San...or Ha-kuma San...either one works.." she continued as she burst into a mad fit of laughter, picturing Kakashi as a bear cooking salmon.

"I...can never tell him about this..." she managed through labored breaths from laughing so hard, as she collapsed onto the futon he was lounging on earlier.

"I gotta stop picturing that...if I keep suddenly laughing, he's gonna grill me about it." she finished, her eyes catching sight of his headband sitting on the table.

"Doesn't this thing ever hurt his head from wearing it all day?" she wondered aloud, inspecting the leaf village symbol on it carefully.

"Probably not...especially with the way he wears it..." she deduced, as she subconsciously started tracing the engraved symbol on Kakashi's headband with her finger.

 _ **Hold on...I'm not gonna be staying here from now on will I? No, of course not.** **Besides I'd most likely drive him nuts. I'm already getting antsy from not being able to train regularly**_. she mulled over in her head, failing to notice Kakashi walk back into the room.

"I really need to start training daily. I've neglected that for way too long. Master Yun Chang would be pissed at me if he knew." she continued talking to herself.

"I wonder if Hatake San ever had a mentor like Master. Wait...of course he did. That guy in the picture with him...I'm such a dumbass sometimes..." Harata scolded, as her gaze moved to Kakashi's vest.

 _"So she saw that...no harm done I suppose."_ he thought as he leaned in the doorway observing her.

"What're all these pockets for? Toshi doesn't wear half as much stuff as Hatake San does. He makes Kenji, Hikari, and Sakumi wear it though. Man if their students ever met..." she mindlessly droned on.

Much to Kakashi's dismay, she eventually picked up his beloved Icha paradise. Sweating bullets, he watched with an extreme amount of angst building up.

 _"Please don't open it...just put it back down..."_ he willed in his head, as she placed it neatly beside his headband again.

Sighing in relief, he decided to watch her a bit further, before making his presence known.

"Did he fall asleep? I could see how tired he was. Maybe if I let him rest on my lap again it'll help him sleep better!" she said excitedly.

 _"She actually wants to do that again? Definitely an odd one."_ he questioned in his head.

"Nevermind, he doesn't really like that kind of stuff. Only kids like Setsuna would enjoy it." Harata switched up.

 _"Well...I wouldn't mind to be honest...her lap's quite comfortable. I nearly did fall- "_ his thoughts were interrupted by Harata talking again.

"Maybe I should still ask him. He did seem to like it...but he isn't a puppy or a kid. I'm sure all he needs is that book of his." she concluded, leaving Kakashi feeling somewhat shafted.

"Is she doing that on purpose? I really feel like she is..." he said quietly, as he cleared his throat, causing Harata to look up quickly.

 ** _Damn it_** ** _..._** she mentally kicked herself.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" she asked in an apologetic manner, as she sat up.

"No. I wasn't sleeping. Just taking a shower." he corrected, eyeing his gear and book on the table.

"Were we enjoying ourselves?" he inquired.

"Huh? Enjoying- oh...wait...did you hear me laughing?" she asked suspiciously.

"Laughing? No. However, I _did_ see you playing around with my headband and vest." he said smugly.

Looking as if she'd been caught in a lie, Harata pressed both hands together in a pleading motion.

"I swear I was only looking at it. My brother, he's a shinobi too, but he doesn't wear all the stuff you do." she admitted.

"Your brother? Oh that's right. You did mention something about that back when we first met. He has students as well?" Kakashi asked, genuinely intrigued now.

"Yeah, his name's Toshi Hashimoto. And that sword you paid for, is supposed to be a gift for his adopted son Kenji, who's also one of his students." Harata explained.

"I see. Can't say I've ever heard of him before." Kakashi replied, his hand on his chin.

"That's no surprise to me. He was born in a completely different era, and dimension. So I guess technically, he doesn't exist here." she said calmly.

"Different era and...dimension? Exactly what do you mean by that?" he shot back curiously.

"Well to put it simply...Toshi was originally born in the Sengoku era only in the dimension I'm from. In short, me being here, is messing up a lot of important shi- _things_ right now." she replied hesitantly.

"Is it now? How exactly will this negatively affect these _important things_ you mentioned?" he interrogated.

"Well...most likely my ruler or her ally will have to fix it. That's how bad it is. Like the balance of yin and yang in the universe being thrown off." she answered.

"Yin and yang? I suppose I understand how detrimental that could be. But exactly how would that be corrected?" he asked with a serious look on his face now.

Not responding immediately, Harata too got serious, and took a deep breath.

"By erasing everyone's memory of me and possibly my unit members ever existing here, then sealing off the gateway between our dimensions." she said bluntly.

"It wouldn't hurt anyone here, so don't worry about tha- "

"What if that's not what we want?" he cut her off immediately, making her look up at him in confusion.

"Well, if you all didn't want that, my ruler would respect your decision, and just leave you in peace. She's extremely reasonable. But...she'd be doing it for your village's sake. We have a lot of enemies too...

And we don't allow humans to be dragged into inhuman affairs. If it was found out by any of our enemies that you all aided us in any way, they'd come after you..." she finally finished.

"That certainly is a lot to consider. And the repercussions appear to be very heavy. Though if that did happen...?" the crafty shinobi inquired.

"If it did, I'd be the first one here with my unit members and army to aid you all. And I'm not the only help you'd receive. Hell, you'd honestly get damn near the entire military here as reinforcements." she said with a slight chuckle.

Caught off guard by her response, Kakashi stood there speechless for a moment.

"Really? Your ruler would do all of that to aid us?" he said in a surprised manner.

"Oh hell yeah! Your village gave me a place to stay, and treated me with nothing but respect. My ruler values attributes like that greatly. Especially when it's shown towards one of her warriors." Harata said excitedly with a mischievous grin.

"I see...honestly it seems like Konoha could benefit somewhat from a deal like that." Kakashi countered, staring the young commander in her eyes.

"Trust me, if someone aids anyone from the Celestial Empire, that's enough to forge a lifelong alliance as far as my ruler's concerned." she retorted happily.

"I'm sorry...did you say an _Empire?_ " Kakashi repeated in disbelief.

Blinking innocently for a second, Harata eventually shook her head eagerly, upon hearing Kakashi's question.

"Did I never mention that? The empire I serve in rules over most of the dimension I come from." she added nervously.

In shock, Kakashi looked at Harata at a loss for words.

"Hey, you're not mad are you? Remember I said before I'm not really supposed to be talking about this to anyone else." she reminded shyly.

"Oh, no...I'm not angry...just quite impressed. I've never heard something of this nature before. But it's all beginning to make sense now." he replied, still trying to take in everything Harata told him.

"That's why I said no one would believe me if I revealed everything at first. It's a bit much for humans to comprehend." she continued.

"I get what you meant by 'it's complicated' now. But this will definitely need to be discussed further with Lady Tsunade at some point." Kakashi said in a tone that left no room for debate.

"Yes Sir!" Harata agreed instantly with a small salute, and a carefree grin.

Still in disbelief, Kakashi put his hand to his head and massaged his temple gently, sighed, then walked over to the futon to sit down.

"Is there anything else major I should be aware of?" he said slowly, as Harata observed him intently, then got up and went into the kitchen.

Unsure if she wasn't listening to him, he was ready to repeat what he just said, until she reappeared beside him with a hot cup of tea.

Giving him a worried look, she set the cup of tea down in front of him on the table, a beautifully embroidered handkerchief lined with gold, and decorated with what appeared like lilies that were on fire underneath the tea cup.

Not expecting such treatment, Kakashi shifted his gaze to the cup, then up to Harata.

"Sorry if I made your head hurt." she said apologetically, as she kneeled on the floor in front of the table, and bowed gracefully with her hands placed gently in front of her.

"Oh dear...thank you. But I think you misunderstood my line of questioning. And you didn't do anything to aggravate me, I promise.

"Really?" she said, not lifting her head until she was certain he wasn't upset.

"Yes, I'm positive." he confirmed, knowing that's what she was waiting for.

 _"Still so formal after all this time?"_ he let his mind wander, as he blew on the tea, and took a sip.

"If you're sure, then alright... Oh yeah! And please sleep in your bed from now on. It's not right for me to monopolize it. I can rest out here." she assured.

"Are you sure? I'm fine to sleep on the sofa." he double checked.

Keeping her eyes to the floor, Harata nodded her head in agreement.

"Yes. It'd honestly ease my conscious too...heh heh.." she added sheepishly, making Kakashi give her a look of skepticism.

"Ulterior motives...thought so...but sure, so long as you'll be fine sleeping on that." Kakashi finished, pointing to the futon.

"Perfectly fine." she replied cheerfully, intentionally ignoring the first part of Kakashi's statement.

"Suit yourself then." was all he said through a muffled yawn, as he reached down for his novel.

"The tea was nice by the way. I appreciate it." he suddenly mentioned.

"O-oh sure, it's no problem at all!" Harata stumbled over her words, not expecting him to say anything further.

 ** _I really hope he doesn't think I'm insane after what I said before. I mean, I can't blame him if he does though..._** she thought to herself anxiously, visibly revealing what she was thinking.

Peering over the rim of his book, Kakashi noticed the angst ridden expression on Harata's face, but said nothing.

 _"I'm sure she'll say whatever's on her mind when she's ready."_ he silently assumed.

Standing up after a long period of him enjoying himself quietly, Kakashi yawned once more, stretched, then started walking off to his room.

"I'm heading to bed now. No wild parties while I'm sleeping understood?" he tried, hoping that would make her laugh a little.

Harata only looked up at him and nodded, then hung her head again, making him sigh and continue on his way.

"Goodnight then." he said softly, before closing his door, and going to sleep.


	25. Morning Breeze

Waking feeling rejuvenated for once, Kakashi rolled over in his bed only to see the shirt he let Harata wear, freshly washed, folded, and placed nicely on the small nightstand beside him.

"When did she put this here?" he mumbled sleepily, as he propped himself up on one arm.

Eventually pulling his covers off and sitting up, he stared at the neatly pressed shirt for a moment.

 _"She really didn't need to wash it. I have extra shirts...but I'll keep that a secret for now."_ he thought, a mischievous smirk forming on his rarely exposed face.

As he stood up, it suddenly occured to him that it was surprisingly quiet.

A bit too quiet, considering how loud Harata usually was.

Growing suspicious, Kakashi gave one final yawn, and walked into the living room only to find it empty.

"Odd, she's not in here. Where'd she go? I explicitly remember telling her not to go anywhere. Goodness, she's a stubborn person..." he said with a sigh, as he rubbed the side of his head.

Upon second glance, he noticed the living room was put back in order, after Harata's rampage of looking for her necklace the previous day.

"Oh, she actually straightened it up. Good. Otherwise I'd be forced to resort to extreme tactics." he said with a hint of malice in his voice, as he headed toward the bathroom to start preparing for the day.

* * *

Dawned in her regular attire once more, Harata poked around the village looking for a market to buy groceries at.

 ** _"I should definitely get more salmon. It's clear that he likes that a good bit. Oooo and more dango!"_** Harata mentally noted, as she strolled along calmly.

Unbeknownst to Kakashi, the spunky young woman had left very early in the morning, and found her way into town to go grocery shopping.

She was praying he wouldn't be too upset about her leaving, so as reassurance, she cleaned up his place, even though she was the cause of the mess to begin with, and washed his shirt.

"That should be enough of a peace offering right? Maybe making breakfast will help also. At least I hope s- " she stopped upon seeing Naruto waiting at Ichiraku ramen.

 ** _"_** ** _Oh maybe I can just ask him._** ** _"_** she thought as she casually approached the young shinobi.

"Yo, sup lil man." she called out, making him look up at her.

"ohhh hey! Long time no see!" he yelled happily with his trademark grin.

Harata could only smile warmly and pat Naruto's head gently. His friendliness was just infectious to her.

"Haha, yeah it has been. I trust you all have been good." she said, removing her hand from his head, and folding her arms instead.

"yeah I've been great! Kakashi sensei just taught us a really cool new technique too!" Naruto shouted excitedly.

"Oh yeah? You'll have to show me sometime! I'd love to see it!" Harata replied with just as much enthusiasm.

She was genuinely curious to see what Kakashi taught them all. She figured it must've been when he was out yesterday.

"really?! Awesome! Maybe you can come with us today! Since you're feelin better an all!" he countered, throwing Harata off.

 ** _"Feeling better? Does he know what happened two nights ago?"_** she panicked slightly in her head, but shook that thought away, once Naruto continued.

"I know ya got hurt kinda bad back at that fishing village. We were all curious, and asked Kakashi sensei if he could check on ya after we got back!" he finished happily, brushing his nose proudly.

"he better not have forgot! Or I'll knock him one! It's only natural to make sure girls are okay!" he added with a big kind grin.

Overcome with an immense amount of appreciation, Harata bent down to Naruto's eye level, and gave him a hug, much to the young boy's surprise.

"Awww thank you guys. Seriously. I'm really grateful for your kindness. And, heh heh no he didn't forget. He came the next day to see me." she assured, patting his head again.

Naruto suddenly paused and looked at Harata with a confused expression, making her curious as to what he was going to say.

"What's up?" she tried, getting a bit worried.

"mmm...I dunno...just...we asked him after we all got back that same day. Kakashi sensei said he'd try but he might forget cause he was so busy." Naruto confessed, piquing Harata's interest, though she played it cool.

"Oh really? Too busy? Did he mention what he'd be busy with?" she inquired further.

"nah, just that he'd be busy. But I guess he found some time out of his schedule to see ya! So it worked out don't ya think?!" Naruto shouted excitedly, completely oblivious to the fact that he just blew up his teacher's spot.

"Ohhh I see now. Yeah you're right! It did work out just fine!" she laughed with him, fully intent on interrogating Kakashi about that later.

"yeah!" Naruto agreed eagerly, then turned his attention elsewhere upon hearing his name called.

Attempting to locate the person who greeted the young boy, Harata's eyes came to rest on a man emerging from the crowd.

 ** _"Wait a minute. He looks familiar. I swear I've seen him before..."_** she thought, focusing intently on the man Naruto was happily speaking to now, until the man noticed her and gave a bright smile and waved.

"Funny running into you here. Kakashi's not with you?" the man asked, as she bore a baffled expression on her face.

"Hatake San? No, he's at-- uh- um no...dunno where he is at the moment. And excuse me, but haven't we met before?" she asked, in an unsure tone.

The ever inquisitive Naruto tuned in immediately to the conversation at hand, hearing that the two encountered each other in the past.

"wait you guys know each other... Iruka sensei? Hmmmm?" Naruto asked, with a smug grin on his face.

Due to years of dealing with the blonde genin's antics, the man had fine tuned his intuition, quickly shutting his former pupil's wild imagination down.

"Yes Naruto. And whatever is running through that head of yours is wrong." Iruka thwarted, as Naruto huffed in disappointment.

"awww man..." the mischievous boy whined, as Iruka addressed Harata.

"I'm flattered you remember me at all. But yes, we did. Briefly, at the Hokage's residence. Iruka. Nice seeing you again." he said in a friendly manner.

"Iruka?" she questioned, recalling her first and only visit to where Tsunade resided.

"Oh yeah! You're that nice guy who talked to me before I went inside!" she continued, thinking back to the conversation they had.

"Hah, yeah that was me." Iruka replied calmly, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"I heard you were injured in the last mission you accompanied squad seven on. Are you alright now?" he inquired.

 ** _"I'm guessing a lot of people know about that incident..."_** she momentarily harped over internally.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine now. Thank you so much for asking. I was actually treated in the fishing village before we came back here." Harata explained.

"That's good. I'm glad you're okay. Kakashi's squad, including this one here, were all pretty worried about you." the friendly instructor said, playfully ruffling Naruto's hair.

"ahhh hey!" Naruto laughed, unable to stay annoyed for long around Iruka.

"Lil man was just telling me the same thing. Thank you for the kind words. I'm much obliged sir." she replied respectfully, with a deep bow.

"Of course. And please, just call me Iruka." he said calmly, as Harata stood up, and smiled warmly.

Stopping for a second, the awkward young woman nodded in agreement.

"As you wish, Iruka San it is from now on." she complied, making Iruka chuckle.

"That's good enough for now. We'll work on it more once we get better acquainted." he teased, making Harata get flustered.

"But it's disrespectful to refer so familiarly to someone who doesn't know me!" she protested fervently, as Iruka chuckled at her reaction.

"Fair enough I guess." he relented, as Naruto's stomach growled loudly, causing both Iruka and Harata to look at the young shinobi in disbelief.

"eh heh heh...sorry..." Naruto squeaked out nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"I'll see you around then." Iruka said to Harata, as he turned his attention to Naruto, who was urging him forward to the food stall.

"Oh, right! See you lat- wait! I almost forgot! Do you know where I can buy fresh groceries around here?" she quickly added.

"Groceries? Oh, just a little further down this way. You'll find what you're looking for there." Iruka called back, practically being dragged inside the ramen shop now.

"Thank you!" she shouted in response, waving at Naruto also, as they both waved back to her.

 ** _"Just a little further down this way huh? Alright then."_** she thought as she continued on her way.

* * *

Approaching what appeared to be her goal, Harata breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't gotten lost.

Gazing upon the various selection of fresh vegetables, spices, and fruit, she soon came across one special ingredient she was hoping to buy.

"Sweet! I didn't think they'd have it honestly!" Harata said excitedly, but froze once she saw someone's hand grabbing the same spice she was reaching for.

Looking over, she saw a beautiful, black haired woman standing beside her, who gave her a friendly smile.

"Go ahead. It's all yours." was all the woman said as she pulled her hand away.

Startled by the woman's sudden presence, Harata bowed respectfully, and moved her hand away too.

"No, please...you take it. I can get another one." Harata conceded, making the woman smile gently.

"Well if you insist, then thank you." the woman replied, taking the ginger root, and placing it in a basket.

"Of course, it's no problem at all." Harata immediately countered, observing the beautiful woman silently.

 ** _"Geez she's pretty...definitely has model looks. Wonder who she is..."_** she thought curiously, watching the woman carefully hand pick certain items.

"Ahhh Kurenai, good morning. How are you today?" came an old man's voice, catching Harata's attention.

The woman referred to as _Kurenai_ looked up from what she was doing, and gave a bright smile to the elderly man.

"Good morning. I'm well, how about you?" she asked the old man, who returned her kind gesture with a warm smile of his own.

"Oh you know. Getting by. But that's good to hear you're doing well." he finished, then turned toward Harata.

"Good morning young lady. Are you a friend of Kurenai's?" he questioned endearingly.

"Oh- well actually, I just- " Harata was interrupted.

"Yes she is. Well now, I think I'm about done. I'll just take these for today." Kurenai said, gently putting the money in the elderly man's hand.

"Of course. It's always a pleasure. Please come again tomorrow." the old man kindly offered, making Harata smile softly at him.

"Oh, just let me know when you're finished young lady. I'll ring you up alright?" the frail grocer instructed, Harata nodding her head in compliance, as Kurenai watched her interact with the senior citizen.

 ** _"I should hurry up...I can't keep this sweet old man waiting."_** Harata scolded herself mentally, feeling guilty as she quickly picked out the rest of what she needed, and sat them on the counter.

"Oh nice choice little Missy! You've got an eye for fine produce!" he praised cheerfully.

"Tha-thank you kindly Sir. I learned from the best." she retorted, slightly nervous from receiving the small compliment.

"And I'm sure you cook just as well. Here you are." the kind-hearted grocer replied, sliding Harata's groceries in a bag, as she slid some money onto the counter.

"Thank you very much for your patronage. Please come again as well." he finished, waving goodbye to both of the women with a heartwarming smile.

"That man...he's gone senile. So I apologize for saying we were friends. That's the only way he can remember new faces. He has to associate them with people he already knows." Kurenai explained as she walked off with the young warrior.

"Senile? I see..." Harata trailed off, feeling sorry for the frail man.

"Yeah, it's pretty heartbreaking. He can barely recall his own son's face now. His wife reminds him by showing the last picture of their son to him daily..." the raven haired beauty continued.

"Not even his son? That is heartbreaki- " Harata broke off, noticing the context in which Kurenai spoke of the old grocer's son.

"His son...how old was he when he passed?" Harata inquired solemnly.

Kurenai went silent for a minute, then took a deep breath before responding.

"Seventeen...he was killed during a mission...poor kid." she finally replied, leaving Harata speechless.

This hit a bit hard for the stalwart warrior. She was certainly used to being around death by now, however, hearing Kurenai speak of this young man, reopened a deep wound for her.

"He was...so young..." Harata unconsciously mumbled.

"Yes he was. Gone far too soon. But he lives on through his mother at least." Kurenai reassured.

"That's true." was all Harata could manage without getting choked up thinking of her late loved one, who passed around the same age.

"Oh, by the way. Have you adjusted well to living here so far?" Kurenai questioned, wrenching Harata from her thoughts.

"Adjusted to _living_ here? Wait...what do you mean? I'm just passing through." Harata corrected.

" _Just passing through_ huh? Not the way I see it." Kurenai countered, giving a sly smirk, as if she knew something Harata didn't.

What that _something_ was exactly, Harata had no idea...


	26. Feminine Wiles

**As the two women continued to stroll along in silence, Kurenai's words still lingered in Harata's mind.**

She wanted to ask, but hesitated for some reason.

 ** _"What'd she mean when she said that? Am I supposed to just know or something?"_** Harata mulled over, ready to confront her new acquaintance until the kunoichi spoke up first.

"I see you're curious about what I said earlier." Kurenai guessed, shifting her gaze down toward Harata a bit.

"How'd you know?" Harata countered suspiciously.

"Your body language gave you away. You keep glancing at me, and fidgeting. Plus your face screams that you're confused." Kurenai replied with a short laugh.

"Forgive me, I'm a bit of an analyst when it comes to reading people." she continued, smirking at Harata's incredulous expression.

"Damn that's impressive..." Harata praised, making Kurenai laugh again.

"Well thank you, I appreciate the compliment." the raven haired woman said graciously, then stopped suddenly.

"By the way...are you cooking for an army or just yourself?" Kurenai continued.

Finally realizing what Kurenai meant, Harata looked down at the four bags she was carrying.

"Oh, actually this is for more than just myself." Harata answered bluntly, causing Kurenai to look at her abruptly.

"Wait- I'm sorry...you're cooking for two then?" the bewildered woman inquired.

"Yeah! Why? Is something wrong?" Harata asked curiously.

"No- it's just...well your response surprised me. I had no idea you were expecting..." Kurenai trailed off out of shock.

"Really? My reply was that weird? Hang on...expecting _what_ exactly?" Harata questioned, an eyebrow raised now.

"A baby. I didn't know you were cooking to feed two." Kurenai explained; a look of utter confusion and horror slowly forming on Harata's face.

"You thought I was pregnant?!! My parents would've murdered my ass if I ever got knocked up before marriage!!" Harata shouted unintentionally, drawing the attention of a few villagers passing by.

"Oh...sorry about that then. Though, in order to avoid more misunderstandings in the future, you should be aware that _cooking for two_ is a well known metaphor for being pregnant." Kurenai corrected with a small sigh.

Harata just hung her head in shame, for not entirely understanding what she had implied, simply by choosing the wrong words.

 _"She's nice, but a bit naive. I thought that was common knowledge..."_ the cultured older woman thought to herself, as she studied Harata carefully.

"Okay, so who is this other person you're cooking for? I was under the impression you were brought here alone." Kurenai interrogated, her eyes narrowing on the embarrassed young woman before her.

"Other person?" Harata mirrored back, as Kurenai nodded in agreement.

"Hatake San." Harata continued, throwing Kurenai back into a state of shock.

"Kakashi? Why are you preparing meals for him?" Kurenai shouted in disbelief, drawing attention to herself this time.

A bit confused as to why this was such a big deal, Harata cocked her head to one side curiously.

"Yeah, he took me back to his place two nights ago, let me shower there, and even gave me one of his shirts to wear. I slept in his bed the first time." Harata went on obliviously.

Ready to pass out from so much blood rushing to her head, Kurenai was speechless upon hearing Harata talk.

 _"Ka...kashi...you and I are gonna have a long talk the next time I see you! Exactly what kind of looking after have you been doing?!..._

 _...I never pegged him for the type...wait...maybe there's a **reasonable** explanation for all this..." _Kurenai argued with herself mentally, leaving Harata more confused than before.

Not wanting to assume anything just yet, the mature woman calmed her mind, and pressed Harata for more answers instead.

"Alright. Why did Kakashi bring you to his place?" Kurenai tried, massaging her temple.

Feeling guilty for going against Tsunade's orders, regardless of what Kakashi told her, Harata confessed.

"Truthfully...it was because I did something really dumb..." Harata started hesitantly.

"Something stupid? What exactly was that?" Kurenai inquired, pressuring Harata to tell her everything.

"...I snuck out on my own...outside of the village. I know I was told not to, but I got too anxious...I just- I just want to see my friends again...I miss them, my family, and my home..." Harata admitted, feeling a small lump in her throat as she continued.

"...Hatake San knew I snuck out and followed me. He said I tried to wander off into the forest, and that I was exposed to some kinda gas that made me hallucinate.

He apparently had to restrain me so I would stop trying to follow what I thought was my friend..." the downtrodden swordswoman finally finished.

Hearing all of this, Kurenai couldn't help but feel bad for Harata, even though she disobeyed orders.

She simply looked up toward the sky as a warm breeze blew by, lifting some cherry blossom petals from the ground into a little flurry of pink and white.

"That certainly is a problem. However, it's understandable. Must be pretty scary to wake up in a place you've never been to; and not know a single soul there." Kurenai sympathized.

Overwhelmed with a rush of emotions, Harata wiped a tear away from her eye, oblivious to the fact that she was silently crying.

Amidst getting choked up, as sentimental memories resurfaced, she attempted to justify her reasoning even more.

"That's why...the least I can do... after him saving my life so many times...is offer to cook for him... He was kind enough to let me stay in his home...even though that was all my fault too." Harata added, her words seeming to catch Kurenai off guard.

"I see. So that's what happened. However, I must respectfully disagree. I think I can say...without a doubt- you helped him a lot as well." she said confidently, making Harata look at her questioningly.

"I...helped him...? How? All I've done is inconvenience him so far." Harata replied.

"Inconvenienced? I don't think so. If anything he's been more attentive since you arrived. He normally ignores everyone, and keeps his head stuck in that book all the time." Kurenai said sheepishly.

"More attentive? He still reads his book at any chance he gets. But if it makes him happy, it doesn't bother me." Harata replied, with a slight smile after wiping her tears with her kimono sleeve.

Raising an eyebrow of intrigue, Kurenai tuned in more intently now.

"Oh really? Sounds like you've gotten to know Kakashi pretty well." she baited.

"If I was that close, I'd refer to him by his first name. But I'm not, so I only use his clan name." Harata proudly announced, as Kurenai smiled at her even more.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you used his first name. All of us instructors-- Tell me, does he use your given name or last name?" the sly kunoichi inquired.

"It would be improper for me to do that. We aren't that familiar with each other." Harata countered.

"It would be improper? You're staying at the guy's place. No offense but, you sound like you've led a fairly sheltered life." Kurenai replied, rather shocked at the depth of Harata's naivety.

"Sheltered? I guess that's one way of putting it. And no offense taken. Also to answer your previous question, he usually calls me an acquaintance." Harata replied innocently.

 _"My god Kakashi... **at least** use her first name. No wonder she doesn't refer to him by his..."_ Kurenai snapped in her head.

"I guess he really is just bad with names...or he's deliberately not using yours..." Kurenai trailed off, thinking of how Kakashi only uses certain people's names.

"It's fine with me. He's only tasked with keeping an eye on me. No sense in getting attached to someone that doesn't live here." Harata retorted with an almost emotionless expression.

"Uh huh...I guess I get it. But I suppose I just view it slightly differently." she said nonchalantly.

Taking in Kurenai's words for a minute, the young commander began to truly wonder why Kakashi never called her by name also.

 ** _"Maybe he doesn't feel comfortable doing that either. Regardless of it's my first or last name. We aren't friends after all."_** Harata forcefully convinced herself.

"Just some food for thought...but, I'd say you're both very close, especially if he had no qualms about allowing you to be around him when he's most vulnerable." Kurenai reminded.

"And speaking of which, weren't you planning on making him breakfast? You should probably be on your way now." she followed up; then simply waved and walked off.

"Oh shit..." she mumbled disappointedly.

"It was nice meeting you! Take care!" Harata called out to Kurenai, as she made an about face, and ran back the same way she took to get to town.

* * *

By the time she managed to find her way back to Kakashi's place, it was almost noon.

"Geez I got so damn sidetracked...he probably got too hungry and made himself some food." Harata reassured herself, as she walked inside.

* * *

Much to her surprise, she saw Kakashi sitting comfortably on the futon reading Icha paradise again.

 ** _"Wait- what?! Why didn't he just go out and eat? I know he's got to be starving by no- "_** her thoughts immediately interrupted by Kakashi addressing her.

"So you didn't try running away. Good. I was afraid I'd have to drag you back by force." he said calmly.

"Why would I try to run from you? You'd find me anyway. But you should've just grabbed something to eat in town." she replied, as Kakashi closed his book with a sigh, and took the bags from her.

"You're a quick learner. However, I was actually worried about you. I can eat when I please, but I can't watch you every second. Please inform me when you want to go out from now on." he scolded her, as he sat the groceries on the counter.

"I'm sorry..." Harata quickly said, making Kakashi pause, and shift his gaze to her now shaking frame.

Growing concerned, he turned around and patted her gently on her head, breaking the manic trance she was beginning to go into.

"It seems you've missed my point again. I was asking you to be more careful." Kakashi said with a friendly smile, as Harata stared up at him, ready to back away yet again, but couldn't for some reason.

Even though her head told her the situation was dangerous, her heart yearned for it. Something about his presence; just made her feel very safe.

Although the confusion these odd feelings wrought was immense. This man...he managed to always break down any barrier she put up.

...but how?...How did he keep hitting in just the right spot every time? It was like he could see every weak spot, and sought out to destroy it without even trying.

 ** _"Hatake San...you're on another level...you baffle, yet intrigue me...I don't entirely understand what I've been experiencing when I'm around you...but I shouldn't embrace it..."_** Harata argued with herself mentally.

Noticing her bewildered expression, Kakashi removed his hand from her head, assuming that would make her relax.

A bit saddened that he stopped, Harata now bore a look of profound curiosity.

She quite enjoyed him settling her down in this manner. It was the same way her father, older cousin, or sworn brothers would cheer her up if she was sad when she was a child.

 _"Perhaps I should keep physical contact to a minimum. I don't think she's too comfortable with this. Though it seems to soothe her somehow."_ the perplexed shinobi thought to himself.

"Th-thank you..." she finally mumbled, attempting to hide her flustered face from Kakashi.

"Pardon? I didn't catch that." he lied, with a mischievous smile hidden beneath his mask, knowing she was getting embarrassed.

Clenching her fists tightly, feeling the familiar sensation of her face becoming hot, Harata brought her furisode sleeve up to shield her flushed cheeks from Kakashi's view before answering.

"I said thank you..." she repeated more clearly.

"Oh, you're welcome." he simply replied, letting up only once he could tell she was no longer sad.

"Now then. About breakfast..." Kakashi bluntly spoke up, Harata still concealing her face as she prepared to counter his statement.

"I took so long...you could've just gotten something else to e- "

"You promised to cook me breakfast. I'm just holding you to your word, as you did with me before." he retorted, thwarting Harata's response.

"I-- okay, so I did...but you didn't have to wait for my slow ass to get back!" she blurted out, still flustered.

Walking over to the counter, and perusing through the groceries, Kakashi looked over and stared Harata dead in the eyes; unnerving her as she couldn't bring herself to break away from his gaze.

"True. I guess I really just wanted to eat the food you made again. It was pretty good." he shot back, with a warm smile.

"Wha-what?!! Yo-you're just screwing with me aren't you?!" she shouted in a flustered fury.

"Oh? Am I? I wasn't aware." he casually replied, his attention back on checking the food she bought already.

"Ye-yeah!... I think..." Harata stuttered, sounding a great deal less sure of herself now.

"Hmm...if you say so." was all Kakashi said, his eye twinkling with delight upon spotting more salmon in one of the bags.

 ** _"He's just teasing you like normal...right...?"_** a distracted Harata let her mind wander.

 ** _"...Right...?"_**


	27. Resolve Ignited

**Standing** **idly by, as Kakashi gave his students the specifics of their training for the day; Harata's mind wandered back to her encounter with Kurenai earlier.**

Why had she gotten so emotional over nothing? She had been racking her brain over this ever since she broke down in front of Kakashi too.

 ** _"This isn't good. Trivial matters like this shouldn't be of any concern to me. The end goal is leaving as soon as possible."_** she reminded herself, as she watched the young shinobi start their lesson.

"No reason to harp on it." she rallied herself, as she walked off to a more secluded area to train in private.

Once she reached a spot where she was certain she wouldn't be disturbing them, Harata closed her eyes, attempting to focus on her training.

Envisioning an artificial battle scenario; she could see and hear troops marching, blades clanking against each other, and her comrades storming the battlefield right beside her.

Drowning out all other distractions, the young warrior began to calculate her movements like she was cutting through hordes of enemy units.

Too invested in her own training session to notice how long she'd been gone, Harata gradually thrusted herself further into the simulated war she had imagined.

Even though the fight wasn't real, it was enough to get her mind off of the mundane thoughts that plagued her previously.

"man she's really goin at it!" came Naruto's hushed voice suddenly, as he hid in a nearby bush along with Sasuke and Sakura.

"Naruto be quiet or she'll hear us!" Sakura whispered in a scolding manner.

"oh, whoops my bad, heh heh!" Naruto whispered back apologetically.

"How'd she get injured back then if she can fight that well?" Sasuke muttered, genuinely curious.

"I dunno. Maybe she got distracted cause she had to fart." Naruto suggested, Sasuke shooting him a disgusted look of annoyance.

"That's so gross! And girls don't fart!" Sakura yelled quietly.

"wait seriously?! Chicks don't fart?" Naruto questioned innocently.

"Of course they do. Girls are human too. It's a normal bodily function." Sasuke corrected.

"ohhh I get it now! Hey Sakura do you ever get gassy then?" Naruto asked, as Sakura got angrier by the second.

"Why would you ask a girl that?! It's just weird! Besides, we should really get back to our lesson before Sensei Kakashi finds out." the flustered young kunoichi retorted.

"fat chance! He's way too busy readin that girly manga or whatever it is." Naruto whispered sheepishly, failing to notice the horrified looks slowly forming on Sasuke and Sakura's faces.

"Naruto shut up you idiot!" Sasuke whispered, trying to warn his mischievous teammate of their teacher's presence.

"huh? Whatcha actin like such a baby for?" Naruto jeered, making his teammate give him another dirty look.

 _"Screw this..."_ Sasuke thought with a look of fear as he finally slipped out of the bush.

"Sen- " Sakura started, but was pulled out of the bush by her collar stealthily, Kakashi putting a finger to his masked face signaling her to remain silent.

Nodding in compliance, the two genin could only watch helplessly, knowing of their teammate's impending doom.

Still snickering to himself, Naruto was completely oblivious to the fact that Kakashi was standing right behind him.

"ya gotta admit...that was pretty funny right guys? Guys? ...Sakura?...Sasuke? ...where'd you- " Naruto broke off, slowly turning around to see his mildly annoyed teacher standing before him.

"K-K-Kakashi sensei??!!! Haha h-hey! How's it goin?" Naruto squeaked nervously, as Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, and smiled brightly at the young shinobi.

"ha...ha...y-yeah Kakashi sensei?" the boy responded, starting to sweat.

 _"crap..maybe he heard the joke about him readin girly manga. he's probably pissed about that!"_ Naruto thought, attempting to determine what his teacher was going to do next.

"Naruto, dear student of mine. Why are you over here slacking off? I put a lot of effort into this lesson plan you know..." Kakashi said sweetly, with an obvious underlying hint of malice that Naruto picked up on.

"s-s-slacking o-off? M-me? N-never! S-see I was just- on my way back from the b-bathroom!" the terrified genin stuttered.

"Oh? Were you now? My mistake then..." Kakashi pretended, the now trembling boy none the wiser.

"y-yeah! Th-that's all! Heh heh...s-see I'm headin back right no- " Naruto was cut off by Kakashi.

 **"ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!"** was all Naruto heard, then...the pain came next, and last came the gargled noise of unholy gas mixing with his breakfast from this morning.

As Naruto was sent flying while screaming in pain from Kakashi's _lethal_ technique, he started feeling the familiar sensation of needing to empty the contents of his stomach badly.

"u-uh oh...I don't feel so...TOILET! I NEED A TOILET STAT!!!" the panicked young shinobi hollered in a frenzy, holding his butt as he ran to a nearby public restroom.

* * *

The sound of Naruto hollering jolted Harata from her mental simulation, as she stopped abruptly and looked around in confusion.

"What the hell was that?! A dying animal or something?!!" she wondered aloud with a baffled expression.

"Guess so." the bewildered young woman reassured herself, as she decided to just continue on with her training.

 _"What were they all hiding in there for anyway?"_ Kakashi pondered, as he turned his attention back to Sasuke and Sakura.

"Now as for you two. No lunch break until you finish your training for the day. You can fill Naruto in on that when he returns from his bout with the bathroom." Kakashi said firmly, as Sasuke and Sakura nodded in agreement.

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other now." Kakashi finished, sending his remaining students back to their training.

"Sensei Kakashi..." Sakura called out.

"...Yes?" he replied hesitantly, all ready to go back to reading, until Sakura asked him a question.

"That older girl...how'd she get hurt so bad?" Sakura inquired.

"Older girl?" Kakashi mirrored back, a bit lost as to who the young kunoichi was referring to at first.

"Yeah, her name was Harata I think." Sakura tried again.

"Sorry, who?" Kakashi answered, half listening.

"The woman that's been coming with us on missions." Sasuke eventually spoke up too.

"Oh. What about her?" Kakashi replied.

 _"D-didn't he hear what I just asked him? I swear he purposely ignores me sometimes!"_ Sakura shouted angrily in her head.

Calming down, Sakura attempted to get a response from her teacher once more.

"Well, we were watching her fight just now...and...she's pretty good...so...how'd she get hurt back at the fishing village if she's so skilled at combat?" Sakura repeated, going more in depth this time.

Now that he thought about it...he wasn't entirely sure himself.

After witnessing the way she handled a grown man twice her size, and seeing her train by herself, Kakashi was positive she'd be alright defending the villagers back then.

"I don't know honestly. You'd have to ask her yourself." he countered, making Sakura sigh in defeat.

"Okay, I just figured maybe she told you why. Nevermind then." the inquisitive young girl added, then returned to training.

 _"Odd. I hadn't thought of that at the time because I was worried about her recovering from the paralysis. Worth interrogating her about later I suppose."_ the silver haired jonin mulled over before returning to his book.

"I'm sure she had her reasons." he said to himself quietly, as Naruto returned two hours later, with a relieved grin on his face.

"ahhh much better. Maybe I should ease up on the ramen...Naaaah!" the young boy joked with a carefree attitude, as Kakashi shifted his gaze toward Naruto casually.

"Oh Naruto, so good of you to rejoin us all. I trust you'll feel like completing your lesson now?" he asked in a semi threatening tone, making the blonde boy freeze.

"u-uh yeeeeah...g-gonna get right on it Kakashi sensei...heh!" Naruto promised, as he scurried off and accidentally bumped into Sasuke's back, who turned around and glared at him.

"Watch where you're going idiot." Sasuke chastised, Naruto not paying him any attention, just trying to get as far away from Kakashi as possible.

Realizing Naruto ignored him, Sasuke sucked his teeth and continued on with his business, muttering something unintelligible under his breath, as Sakura tried to inch closer to him unnoticed.

 _"Maybe I can cheer Sasuke up a li- "_ her thoughts interrupted by Kakashi catching sight of what she was doing, and telling her to focus on her training instead.

 _"Crap! How'd he- geez! I'll never get to spend any time with Sasuke at this rate..."_ she worried subconsciously.

Sighing and keeping an eye on his students intermittently, it dawned on Kakashi that he may have forgotten about something, but he was too busy to give it much more thought.

* * *

Back in the secluded area Harata snuck off to, she had finally. finished her training session.

Pushing what she considered _unnecessary_ thoughts and feelings aside, her mind felt clear again.

It was a lot easier to function when her head wasn't clouded with doubt. Simply feeling refreshed enough to tackle the dilemma she was in anew, was so exhilarating to her.

"Alright. First things first. I'll ask Hatake San if I can go back to the inn. But I need to regain his trust somehow. That's the hard part..." she plotted, trying to think of what the best course of action would be.

Frustrated that she couldn't come up with anything; Harata cursed and looked up at the sky longingly.

"I guess, I don't need to think of what to do straight away. I could wait just a little more..." she trailed off, her mind wandering to something that put her troubled soul at peace briefly.

"Wonder what everyone's doing right now..." she thought to herself, unaware that the warm weather, gentle breeze, and serene atmosphere had begun to lull her into a calm slumber.


	28. Behind the Veil

**_"Hey! Helloooo? Can you hear me Hara?"_**

 ** _"Grape chan!"_**

 ** _"Harata, are you okay?"_**

"Huh? Who's- Soohyeung? Miyake?! Setsuna? Where'd all of you come from?!" Harata replied hazily.

 ** _"Eh heh heh, we've been waiting for you to wake up this whole time! Do you know how long you were out?"_** Soohyeung questioned her sweetly.

 ** _"Grape chan! I got you_** ** _somethin!_** ** _"_** Setsuna squealed with delight.

 ** _"_** ** _Suna, wait what is that? Is that another frog? Where'd you even find that?"_** an exasperated Miyake interrogated.

 ** _"Somewhere..."_** the petite brunette replied happily, proud of what she discovered.

"Setsuna, I don't know why...or even **how** you managed to get ahold of that, but **no**...put it back." Harata mumbled.

 ** _"Okay merrily..."_** the odd, little swordswoman complied, as she teetered off.

 ** _"Setsuna no! Don't go in the water with your shoes on! They'll get all wet!"_** Miyake could be heard calling out, as she ran off after her younger cousin.

"What is going on? Where are we?" Harata asked, unable to move her body for some reason.

 ** _"Sister, what's the matter?"_** came a deep, gruff voice from Harata's right side; however everything was dark, so she couldn't see any of the faces the familiar voices belonged to.

"Junkai? Is that you? How'd you- wait...this doesn't make any sense. Are we on Celeste?" she asked, slowly becoming alarmed.

 ** _"Celeste? No. We're not. But it's time for you to wake up sister. Everyone's waiting on you."_** the voice now recognized as her older brother advised.

"Wake up? I _am_ awake! I'm literally talking to all of you right now!" she tried frantically.

 ** _"No Hara, you're still sleeping. I'm sorry. As much as I'd like you to stay here...they're all waiting on you okay?"_** Soohyeung pleaded softly, confusing her best friend even further.

" _They're all waiting_? Who's _they_? All of you are right here." the baffled young commander argued.

 ** _"Not us Hara, them..."_** Soohyeung corrected, pointing to four silhouetted figures standing behind her.

"Who are they? I can't see anyone." Harata explained, but to her surprise, Kakashi's face suddenly showed up clear as day.

"Hatake San?! Why are you here?! Wait- where is here anyway?" she questioned, as Kakashi smiled warmly and held his hand out to her.

"You're just gonna ignore me? Ah forget it...I should be used to that by now. Hold on...how do you all know each other? None of you ever met before." Harata tried, but Soohyeung merely gave her the same answer.

 ** _"They're waiting for you sleepyhead. Time to get up..."_** Soohyeung warned one last time, before the image of her, Miyake, Setsuna, and Junkai faded, and Harata jolted upright trying to reach out for her loved ones.

* * *

"Wait you guys! I don't get i- " Harata shouted, waking herself up finally; but stopped immediately upon opening her eyes to the small forested area she had snuck off to previously.

Not realizing that Kakashi, a snickering Naruto, worried Sakura, and confused Sasuke were standing on either side of her; Harata continued talking like nobody was there.

"Huh? Was that...just a dream? Damn it all...I seriously need to figure out how to get back home...that was way too re- " she cut off again, finally noticing everyone standing around her.

Praying that this was just another dream, or that they didn't pay attention to what she said, Harata just remained silent until Kakashi spoke up.

"Everything okay there?" he inquired smugly.

Pretending as if she didn't hear Kakashi ask her anything, she stretched and stood up casually.

"Ahhh what a nice nap! Oh, hey guys! Finished with your lesson already?" Harata tried, making Naruto bust out in laughter.

"you talk a lot in your sleep like I do!" he cheerfully admitted, knowing full well Harata wasn't going to ignore him.

"Hah! Talk in my sleep? That's a good one!" she countered, Naruto giving a sheepish grin.

"ohhhh really? Wanna know what ya said then?" Naruto teased, Harata going stiff for a second, but relaxing again.

"Well if you're sure lil man. What'd I say?" Harata played along.

"don't get mad at me for hearing it later on!" Naruto warned, as Harata shook her head in agreement.

"I promise, don't worry." she reassured.

"ooookay, but don't say I didn't warn ya!" Naruto said again before blurting it out.

"you were callin out Kakashi sensei's name!" the mischievous genin chuckled with a grin.

"You really had me for a second lil man!" Harata joked in complete denial, confident that she was right.

"I ain't lyin, I swear! Kakashi sensei heard it too!" Naruto said defensively, Kakashi clearing his throat nervously.

Harata glanced toward Kakashi and frowned up with confusion.

 ** _"Why would I mention his name? I was dreaming of being home. Weird. Maybe he's just screwin with me."_** the doubtful young woman thought.

"I dunno why. Must've had a dream where he scared the soul outta me like he always does." Harata replied nonchalantly, successfully defusing the bomb Naruto unwittingly just set off.

"he likes scarin ya? Kakashi sensei you're not supposed ta scare girls! They'll cry if ya do that!" Naruto lectured to the best of his ability, though Kakashi's head was now stuck in his book.

"hey! Kakashi sensei! I'm talkin to ya!!" Naruto tried once more, Kakashi not budging.

"oh, okay then. How about this?" Naruto mumbled quietly, before a cloud of smoke engulfed him, and suddenly a naked woman stood before all of them.

"Na...ru...toooo!!! Cut it out! That's so juvenile!" Sakura scolded, attempting to sound like the sexy jutsu wasn't bothering her, but to her dismay, Sasuke was blushing slightly.

"N-Naruto you loser! Stop it!" the stoic boy shouted, getting a bit flustered.

 _"Sa-Sasuke no! Don't look! It's just a stupid trick by an immature boy- is...is Sasuke actually embarrassed too?!!!! **NOOOOOO!!!** " _Sakura raged in her head, slowly dying on the inside, and ready to hit Naruto.

"Oh Kakashi sensei~ will you pay attention to me now? Teehee~" Naruto mischievously teased in his sexy jutsu form.

Kakashi, finally tuning back in to reality merely looked up at Naruto with a blank expression, then put his head back down in his book.

"I've seen better." he countered, shocking Naruto enough that he broke concentration, and reverted back to his normal appearance.

"what?! But this is a Uzumaki special!! Nobody can do it better than me!!" Naruto grumbled, completely unaware that his teacher meant something entirely different.

"Everyone ready to go? It's already past noon. I'd imagine you're hungry by now." Kakashi said calmly, closing his book.

"...Y-yeah...I'm ready..." Sakura answered in defeat, sluggishly starting to walk off first.

"Good. Then let's go." the silver haired shinobi ordered, Naruto following behind still upset, and Sasuke trailing behind with Harata.

 ** _"Guess whatever happened went over my head. Ahhh that's what I get for zoning out so much."_** Harata thought as she walked along in silence.

"...Hey." she suddenly heard, taking Harata away from her wandering mind.

She looked up only to see Sasuke had stopped walking, and was now facing her.

"Oh, uh- what's up youngin?" Harata inquired, amazed that he actually was talking to her.

She had always pegged him as an anti-social type who only spoke with people he knew and trusted.

"That stuff you mentioned in your sleep...what did you mean by it? Those names, and some place called Celeste. Then you yelled Kakashi sensei's name..." Sasuke interrogated, making Harata's eye twitch.

 ** _"Curious little one aren't ya? Fuckin hell- I was hoping nobody heard all that..."_** Harata vented mentally, as the usually quiet young shinobi waited patiently.

"I uh- we should _really_ catch up with everybody else." she tried evading his question altogether.

"Are they friends of yours? I know you're not from any of the other villages." Sasuke continued, making Harata stop in her tracks.

"Damn he's like a mini version of Hatake San..." she mumbled to herself, before sighing and addressing his inquiry.

"As much as I'd like to tell you all everything youngin...I was ordered not to disclose any information by your village's leader." Harata explained carefully.

"So what, like a gag order?" the skeptical boy asked.

"More or less." Harata confirmed eagerly.

"Oh. I get it." was all he said, before he walked off.

"That was...interesting..." the baffled young warrior wondered aloud, as she too eventually resumed walking.

* * *

 **Once they all reached town, they stopped in to Ichiraku ramen, after much cajoling on Naruto's part.**

As they all sat down to eat, everyone seemed to go back to return to how they normally acted. The only difference being Harata opting to stand outside the ramen shop this time.

"So long as they're enjoying themselves, that's all I care about." she said quietly, just taking in the sight of the villagers moving about their day as always.

"Running errands again?" came a familiar voice to the left of where Harata stood, making her jump, and turn her head abruptly.

Much to her surprise, she saw Kurenai standing beside her, only she was accompanied by three kids, who appeared to be around the same age as team seven.

"Oh, it's a pleasure Miss." Harata replied, before bowing deeply.

"Formalities aren't necessary, but it's a pleasure as well." Kurenai chuckled, one of the kids standing in front of her bearing a rather confused expression.

"You know this chick Kurenai sensei?" the curious looking boy finally spoke up.

"We bumped into each other at the market earlier today." Kurenai replied with a smile.

"That's right. This morning if I'm not mistaken. And apologies, but I'm actually waiting for Hatake San and his kids to finish eating lunch." Harata relayed calmly, Kurenai picking up on this small detail.

"Oh Kakashi and his students are inside? Maybe we'll drop in and say hello then." the beautiful kunoichi considered, the young girl standing in front of her flushing a bright red, and getting extremely flustered.

"I'm sure they'd appreciate the company." Harata agreed, then noticed the girl's flustered expression at the same time the boy who initially spoke did.

"Hey Hinata, you okay?" the girl's friend asked, as she shook her head yes, and stammered badly in an effort to respond.

"Y-yes I-I'm alright. Th-thank you for a-asking Kiba." the young girl squeaked out in a soft voice, which tugged at Harata's heartstrings for some reason, as she walked over and patted the girl referred to as _Hinata_ 'shead gently.

"Just breathe deeply hon okay? You'll end up hyperventilating at this rate if you don't slow your breathing." Harata said tenderly, as Hinata complied, and did her best to calm down.

"There ya go." the young commander praised, as Hinata peeked up at her shyly.

 ** _"Oh. My. Goodness... SHE'S THE MOST PRECIOUS THING I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!"_** Harata squealed in her head, as she stood back up, from the bent over position she had assumed.

"Th-thank you miss..." Hinata trailed off nervously.

"Awww of course!" Harata replied kindly with a warm smile, making Hinata give a shy smile in return.

"My, you're good with kids. Usually it takes a lot longer for her to calm down when she gets that nervous." Kurenai observed carefully.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, like she overstepped a boundary, Harata got a bit flustered, and bowed respectfully.

"A-apologies! I thought the little one might pass out, so I wanted to help..." she quickly replied, completely misunderstanding the raven haired beauty's statement.

"What? Why are you apologizing? I as well as her teammates appreciate it. She's just a very shy kid." Kurenai explained.

"Oh...I see. Apologies for my inability to understand your compliment properly." Harata said formally.

"Goodness, relax. You're not in trouble or anything." Kurenai assured with a small laugh.

"Right! Yes ma'am!" Harata answered instinctively, strongly resisting the urge to stand at attention.

"At ease soldier." Kurenai joked, not expecting Harata to actually comply with her.

"What'd, you grow up in a military or something?" she continued, Harata giving Kurenai an innocent look of surprise.

"Actually, yes. My mom and dad still actively serve. So does my older sister, and older cousins. Our entire clan serves in the military." Harata replied, shocked that Kurenai unintentionally guessed so much.

"Well...that explains a lot." Kurenai retorted half joking.

"Dang you're whole clan?! That's nuts." the boy Hinata called _Kiba_ blurted out suddenly.

"Oh yeah, heh!" Harata replied nervously.

"Hey, what's your rank? Don't you guys have that kinda thing too?" Kiba asked excitedly.

"Yeah we do. And I'm just a Commander." the nervous young warrior replied kindly.

"You're a commander? How old are you?" Kurenai questioned.

"Twenty. I was promoted to Commander at eighteen though." Harata said meekly.

"I have to say...that's fairly impressive. So you lead your own squad also I take it?" the intrigued kunoichi continued pressing.

The young woman Kurenai and her students now carried on a conversation with, had certainly never made mention of this the last they encountered one another.

"Thank you kindly, and yeah, my friends are in it. But two of them are older than me. The youngest is sixteen. She's one of the two older members' younger cousin." Harata confessed.

"Wow! That's pretty cool! So you're like as strong as Kurenai sensei and the other instructors huh?" Kiba inquired eagerly, as Harata waved her hands in surrender.

"No, I doubt that. They're most likely way stronger than me." the young woman corrected.

"Huh? Really? That sucks, but sounds like you'll get there soon!" Kiba encouraged, making the flustered young woman smile warmly at him.

"Think so? Well thanks youngin. Much obliged." Harata said with a carefree grin, Kiba returning a cheerful grin himself.

"Well guys, let's stop inside for a bit then. You enjoy the rest of your day military girl." Kurenai ordered with a kind smile to Harata, as her students followed their teacher's lead, waving goodbye to the young woman.

"Awww so those were her pupils huh? They're too adorable. Especially the little shy one." Harata thought aloud, taking her place off to the side of the food stall once more.

* * *

Upon entering Ichiraku, Kurenai easily spotted Kakashi and his squad, due to the large number of empty ramen bowls sitting in front of Naruto.

Kakashi busy reading his Icha paradise, Naruto still hammering away at the rest of his lunch, and Sakura fidgeting as she sat across from the ever brooding Sasuke, as he drank some tea.

"Good grief, how much have you had Naruto?" Kurenai said, looking terrified at the six empty bowls sitting beside the blonde shinobi.

"Mmmph...hmmm?" Naruto managed through a mouthful of noodles.

"Krurenai shensei? Whatcha doin here?" he continued, finally swallowing the last of his food.

Hinata instantly turning as red as a tomato, once Naruto noticed her standing there nervously.

"Oh hey Hinata! Kiba, Shino! What's up guys!" he shouted, giving an enthusiastic greeting to all of Kurenai's students.

"N-N-Naruto kun, h-hello!" the shy young girl replied with a small bow, getting flustered all over again.

"Hey. Kakashi...are you just going to sit there?" Kurenai scolded, Kakashi realizing she was standing there with her squad, and looking up from his book.

"Kurenai? Hello. It's been awhile." he finally acknowledged, irritating the level headed kunoichi.

"I swear you'd take that book to your grave if you could." she said sarcastically, as Kakashi's eye lit up.

"You all would be that considerate when I pass? Thank you!" Kakashi replied with an excited, yet calm eagerness.

"Geez Kakashi! It was a joke!" Kurenai retorted, her silver haired friend appearing a bit saddened from her reply.

"Oh...I see then. After everything we've all been through...that would be my only request..." he countered dramatically, a tear forming in his eye.

"This guy...is something else..." Kurenai muttered to herself, as Kakashi put his hand up to his mouth mischievously.

"By the way, got a minute? I wanted to talk to you about something." she questioned, Kakashi giving her a curious look, but complied, when she motioned for him to follow her out of earshot of both their students.

* * *

After stepping off to the side, Kakashi politely inquired as to what Kurenai wanted to speak to him about.

"I had the pleasure of running into your friend, or should I say acquaintance twice today already." she said smugly.

"Acquaintance?" Kakashi repeated, as Kurenai continued.

"Yes. That woman you were tasked with watching over." she replied, with a serious tone.

"Ah, what about her?" Kakashi questioned, unsure of why there was a sudden interest in Harata.

"I thought she was still staying at that hotel. But now I hear you took her to your place? Does Lady Tsunade know?" Kurenai interrogated.

"Not yet. I- kind of forgot...ah haha..." he said absent-mindedly.

"You...forgot? ...Kakashi..." Kurenai mirrored, almost at a loss for words.

"Sort of...we've been fairly busy as of late, with the Chunin exams coming up and all." Kakashi explained apologetically.

Sighing a bit, Kurenai rubbed her temple gently before responding.

"Fair enough. So has my squad. But you trust her enough to let her stay with you?"

"Hmm...hard to say." he evaded, making Kurenai give him a dirty look.

"I'll let that one slide Hatake..." she sneered slightly, as Kakashi put his hands up defensively in a peaceful manner.

"Anyway, she's really indebted to you for helping her. So I'm guessing she really trusts you. She cried when she talked about repaying you. I don't know her story, so I'm not judging though." Kurenai finished.

Hearing this, Kakashi furrowed his brow a bit out of sympathy.

He didn't want her to feel obligatedto return the favor to him. He was only following orders.

"Oh, did she?" was all he said, pretending what she just confessed didn't bother him at all.

"Yeah, just try not to tease her too much. She's very naive, and doesn't understand a lot things for someone her age." Kurenai warned.

"That appears to be a pattern with her. Though I think I may know what caused it." Kakashi replied nonchalantly, as if this news wasn't particularly useful.

"Sorry? What do you mean?" the perplexed kunoichi interrogated.

"It's a long story." he retorted, leaning against the wall of the shop.

Her interest piqued, Kurenai put her back to the wall as well, and sighed.

"I've got time. We're done for the day." she assured, as Kakashi glanced off across the makeshift restaurant.

"Alright." he said, before going on.

"She told me a little about her past. The reason she's like this now...apparently it had to do with some guy she serves with. She was fond of him, and he took advantage of that and mistreated her..." Kakashi started.

Kurenai could already feel her blood start to boil, but remained calm and listened patiently.

Seeing her reaction, he paused, but eventually continued.

"She tried to end her life...she was that traumatized from years of dealing with his mental abuse." Kakashi paused, finding he needed to calm himself also.

"...What?!" Kurenai blurted out, drawing some stares, though she didn't care.

"How was something like that just looked over?" she sneered, getting upset again.

"It wasn't. Her entire clan and friends were ready to kill him. They were ordered not to, because it would be considered treason." Kakashi explained, slowly feeling bad for Harata even more.

It was one thing when he saw everything she'd been through upon looking into her eyes...but putting it into words; the reality of how she was treated set in.

"This all started when she was the same age as our students are now. Even when she got over being infatuated with that scum, and befriended another boy who she became close to, the torture didn't let up. It got worse." Kakashi stopped.

"My god, she was just a kid..." Kurenai subconsciously mumbled somberly.

"I guess the one she cared for previously was jealous he wasn't receiving her attention anymore. He even taunted her after her confidante died in an accident, leading her to try taking her life again." he revealed, making Kurenai curse under her breath.

"Eventually her memories of ever knowing that guy had to be sealed by the one she serves, just so she could function as a person. She began extensive training shortly afterward in order to increase her mental strength." Kakashi paused, finding he needed to calm himself also.

"Fortunately, she met very good people later on, that she became inseparable with. I saw a picture of her and her best friend when they were younger. I was...happy for her..." he finally finished with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Oh? I'm glad. Sounds like she went through hell. I can see why she's afraid of getting close to anyone." Kurenai observed.

"Agreed." Kakashi replied, as the sharp witted kunoichi pushed off the wall with her foot, and started walking over toward her's and Kakashi's squads.

"Hey Kakashi! Let her know she can talk to me if she ever needs some advice. I'd be more than willing to help in any way I can." Kurenai called back, as she rounded her students up, and headed out.

Breathing deeply, Kakashi walked back over to his own squad, and sat down as if nothing had happened.


	29. Souls Connected

**Waiting patiently outside, Harata occupied a nearby bench, legs crossed, lost in thought as Kurenai exited with her squad.**

Replaying the dream from earlier in her head, she tried to make sense of what it meant exactly.

But it seemed the more she sought an explanation, the more the answer slipped away.

 ** _"What was that all about? And why was Hatake San really there? I don't get it...maybe I can ask Dark Queen about it when I get back."_** the conflicted young woman sulked internally.

Sighing in frustration, she turned her gaze toward the sky, hoping for a mental reprieve.

Even though she couldn't see anything but crystal blue and white fusing together; just knowing her family and friends were up there was enough to soothe her troubled mind.

"Anybody...please just give me a sign. I can't keep going like this..." she prayed aloud, silently pleading her voice would reach her loved ones.

"Why don't you go inside with Kakashi and his squad? Seems kinda lonely out here by oneself. Don't you agree?" Kurenai said, standing beside her; Kiba, Hinata, and Shino walking ahead of their instructor.

"Oh. It's fine. I'll stay out here." Harata assured half heartedly, not feeling up to socializing right then.

"Know what. I think I'll just head back to the inn. Would you mind telling Hatake San when they all come out please?" she decided, standing up to stretch, then heading back in the direction of where she was originally staying.

"Oh- hey wait a minute!" Kurenai tried in vain, right as Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura came out of the ramen shop.

Noticing the look of dismay on the older kunoichi's face, Sakura immediately inquired as to what the problem was.

"Kurenai Sensei, what's wrong?" the young girl asked worriedly.

"She left." was all the raven haired woman said in response, confusing her colleague's student a bit.

" _She?_ " Sakura mirrored back.

"Yeah, your female acquaintance." Kurenai explained, Sakura's face indicating she finally realized who was being referred to.

"She did? I wonder why?" Sakura questioned, not really directing it towards anyone.

"Can't say for sure, but do me a favor and let your sensei know she went back to that old inn. I gotta run. Good seeing you all ." Kurenai said, waving goodbye as she too walked off.

"oooo I'll do it!" Naruto volunteered excitedly, Sakura shooting him a sideways glance.

"Why are you so eager to tell Sensei Kakashi? Just so you can beg for more ramen?" she accused suspiciously.

"whaaaat? No no no, I just wanna do Kakashi sensei a solid is all!" Naruto countered, as he ran back into Ichiraku.

"I don't trust him. He's gonna do something stupid. Just wait." Sasuke warned.

"He'd better not!" Sakura shouted angrily as she stormed back inside also; Sasuke opting to remain outside.

* * *

"hey Kakashi sensei!" Naruto called out cheerfully.

"Yes Naruto?" Kakashi calmly replied, not lifting his head from his book.

"your **girlfriend** left!" Naruto reported, a smug expression slowly forming on his face.

"Is that so?" Kakashi retorted, remaining unfazed still.

"yeah! Kurenai sensei said she went to some love hote-- OWWWW!! HEY WHO THE HECK?!!-- oh, Sakura...heh heh...didn't see ya there..." the hyperactive genin started, but soon found himself nursing his head.

"That's NOT what she said Naruto!" Sakura scolded, turning to address Kakashi herself.

"Sensei Kurenai said she went back to an inn." she corrected, Kakashi shifting his gaze to his student now.

"I see. Did she say anything else?" he interrogated.

"No, just that. Why?" Sakura inquired.

"Alright. Thank you for the message. I'm dismissing you all for the day. I have something to take care of." he said abruptly, before standing up and disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"huh? Kakashi sensei? Where ya goin?!" Naruto shouted after their teacher, Sakura standing there just as baffled as her teammate.

* * *

Catching the familiar sight of the old, yet beautifully furnished inn, Harata listlessly walked inside; bowing deeply to the elderly woman at the front desk as if on auto pilot.

Returning the kindness, the old clerk bowed her head as well, and gave a warm smile.

But upon seeing Harata's solemn expression, her wrinkled face changed to one of sympathy.

"Dear, won't you tell me what's plaguing such a sweet young girl like yourself?" the elderly clerk spoke up for the first time.

Startled by hearing the old woman talk to her, Harata stopped and forced a fake smile.

"I'm fine, I promise ma'am." she reassured in as believable a tone as she could muster.

"Nonsense, I've seen that look before. Though if you don't want to disclose the reason, I won't force you. Just know I'm here, should you ever need a listening ear dear." the kind old lady said, with a warm smile and trusting eyes.

Touched by the offer, she merely nodded her head in agreement and continued on to her room.

* * *

As soon as she was safely in the confines of a private space, she collapsed onto the bed facedown, feeling mentally exhausted.

"What are you still doing here Harata? You knew for a long time now, that none of them were ever in or around this village. But you still wanted to believe the possibility they could be..." she argued aloud, rolling over on her back.

"Like it's anyone's fault but my own...if I wasn't so damn impulsive this wouldn't have happened in the first place..." Harata finished, scolding herself fervently.

Beginning to feel the same sensation from before resurface, she reached over and grabbed the blade tilted up against the wall by her bed, and instinctively held it close.

Instantly, her worries seemed to fade, which came as a surprise. She hadn't anticipated it would comfort her so much.

"Weird. Guess it reminds me of home." she said dismissively, knowing deep down there was a completely different reason.

However the stubborn young woman simply refused to acknowledge that reason under any circumstances.

"So what do I do? Should I leave? But where would I even go? ...Nah that doesn't make any sense. It'd be easier for them to pinpoint my location if I stay in one place." Harata strategized.

"Ooookay, so just stay here and wait for help? Alright, if I don't go insane from not being able to train first." she said through a yawn.

"And why do I keep getting tired?! I don't even sleep at home!" she barked, frustrating herself all over again.

"Fuck it, I don't even care anymore!" she shouted, immediately regretting that choice. Looking around as if she were about to get in trouble at any moment.

"Oh yeah...that's right..." she chuckled nervously, feeling foolish.

Though the thought of seeing the bewildered look on her father's face from her randomly shouting, made her laugh mischievously.

"I can just picture him now, **_"_ _Baby_** **_girl what in the hell is wrong wit you? Stop yellin, before ya wake ya mother up."_** Harata joked, doing the best impression of her father's southern accent as she could manage.

"He'd be so lost..." she continued, trying to stifle another laugh, but eventually going silent again.

"I was certain you'd be moping around in there." she suddenly heard from the direction of the sliding doors, making her bolt upright.

She could tell exactly who it was, just by the familiar silhouette casted on the sliding doors by the sun.

Getting up off the bed, she walked over to the doors and slid them open slowly, peeking outside only to see Kakashi giving a friendly smile.

"What're you doing here? I thought you would've gone home by now." she questioned, opening the doors the rest of the way.

"Oh I was going to just head home...until I heard you left without my knowledge." he said casually, making Harata's face go from confusion to one of guilt.

"Heh, yeah sorry bout that. I was just a bit too tired I guess." she lied, knowing he caught on, but just didn't say anything.

"Hmm...I see. Maybe you should get more rest then." he said sarcastically, Harata not seeing the smug look in his eye.

"I'll keep that in mind heh..." she squeaked out, slowly inching back toward the bed.

"Something wrong?" he inquired, obviously noticing what she was doing.

"Whaaat? No! No, of course not!" she replied in a shaky voice, feeling her butt bump the edge of the bed, and sitting back down, and pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Oh. Well I suppose I'll take my leave then. Just checking in on you." he said, giving up a bit too easily for Harata's liking.

 ** _"Did something happen? He seems a bit...down...which is strange..."_** she mulled over in her head, giving Kakashi a suspicious look of curiosity; and wanting to make sure he was alright.

"Um...Hatake San...?" she started, as he turned around and looked back over his shoulder.

"Yes?" he replied, wondering what she was going to ask.

"Um...well...are you okay? You kinda don't sound as...how to put this...you...you seem upset." she observed cautiously.

"Do I? Sorry, I'm probably just hungry." he countered strategically.

"Oh, then please don't let me keep you- oh that's right! I did get more groceries, so you can just use those!" Harata suggested cheerfully, though that happiness went away quickly after hearing his response.

"True. But I don't know what to make with any of the things you bought. I'm no chef. I just make practical food." he baited, the now completely guilt ridden Harata playing right into his trap.

"Oh you don't? I'll cook it all for you okay? Don't worry!" she offered eagerly, a twinkle of determination radiating from her unnaturally.

 _"What in the world is glowing behind her? Nevermind, this **is** the same one who calls a chicken her child...I honestly don't want to know anymore..."_ Kakashi contemplated, as he studied Harata carefully, then responded.

"It's alright. I couldn't possibly ask that of you." he pretended to refuse.

"No please! Allow me! I'll make you some of the best food you ever had!" she beamed passionately.

"Ah, well...if you insist. It wouldn't be polite to turn down a lady." he said smugly, dealing the final blow.

"In fact I'll just stay at your place and show you my culinary brilliance!" Harata shouted proudly, puffing out her chest.

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Harata's innocent bravado, turning around so she wouldn't hear him.

He knew it was a bit mean to trick her into coming back by playing at her interests, but he couldn't help himself. She was an amusing person to be around. And her fiery spirit definitely livened things up for him.

 _"It's alright this time, right? Even if she won't be here forever, it's alright to enjoy her company for now."_ Kakashi's mind wandered, as Harata gathered up her things quickly, and came back over to him.

"Chef Harata reporting for duty Sir!" she stood at attention.

"My, that was fast. But you're sure you have no problem staying at my place? I don't know if my humble home can handle your _culinary brilliance_." he teased.

"Yeah right! Your place is built for warfare! So let's go! Off to battle! You lead the charge Hatake San!" Harata encouraged, grabbing his hand excitedly.

"Built for warfare? Your intentions are beginning to worry me." he retorted, half joking, as she pulled his hand again, urging him out of the room, and into the hallway leading to the lobby.

* * *

At the front desk, sat the elderly woman from earlier, who upon seeing Harata pulling Kakashi over to where she was seated, smiled warmly to herself.

"Checking out dear?" the old clerk said knowingly, Kakashi giving an apologetic smile and nodding in agreement.

"I had a feeling that was going to be the case sooner or later." she said, as she gathered the necessary paperwork, and Harata happily paid for the days she wasn't there.

"There we go dear. All finished. You two take care now. Oh and young lady." the old woman called out to Harata, making her fall behind Kakashi who had walked over toward the main entrance already.

"Yes ma'am?" Harata replied respectfully.

"Please do treat him well. He's such a sweet young man. I'll know if otherwise happens." the wry old clerk warned with a friendly wink, Harata tilting her head in confusion.

"Sorry ma'am, what do you- " Harata was cut off by the old woman interjecting.

"Hurry along now dear! Don't keep him waiting!" she scolded lovingly, as Harata nodded in compliance, and bowed deeply, thanking the woman for everything, and ran over to catch up with Kakashi.

As the two of them left the inn, an elderly man came out from the back, and stood beside the old woman.

"So he finally came to get her? Took the boy long enough!" the old man fussed jokingly.

"Oh hush you! I keep telling you they're not a couple. She's just his friend." the old woman corrected in a joking manner as well.

"Hmmm friends? Not for long in my opinion. As much as he came by to see that girl? Probably thinks he was slick sneaking in from the balcony, but I always saw him when I went round to feed the cats." the wise old man confessed, the old woman just snickering.

"Oh dear. Come now, let's eat lunch." the old woman prodded, as the old man helped her out of her chair, and they both hobbled off to the back together.


End file.
